About

The Strathcona Community Hospital in Sherwood Park is an innovative facility, delivering primary health care, combined with community-based services and a 24-hour emergency department supported by on-site diagnostic services. The new hospital will complement established Primary Care, Public Health, Home Care and Mental Health services in the community.

  • The Strathcona Community Hospital opened in May 2014. The site features a 24-hour Emergency Department, Diagnostic Imaging Services (including Ultrasound and Computerized Tomography (CT) scanner, Laboratory services, Children, Youth and Families Addiction & Mental Health, Community Rehabilitation services, Chronic Disease Management, patient education and outpatient clinics.
  • The site is supported by an active foundation made up of members from the local business and area community.
  • Approximately 80 per cent of patients utilizing the facility are from Sherwood Park and Strathcona County, with the remainder from Edmonton and other nearby communities.
  • Since opening in May 2014, the Strathcona Community Hospital in Sherwood Park has exceeded patient visit projections, requiring additional physician shifts in the emergency department.
  • The new facility brought a number of services to the community that have not previously been available, most notably, a 24-hour emergency department and a CT scanner.

Emergency

  • From the opening in May 2014 to March 31 2015, the Strathcona Community Hospital has seen an average of 3,288 Emergency Department visits each month for a total of 36,176 patient visits. These patients would have previously had to travel out of this community for Emergency care.
  • The average length of stay (ALOS) of all triaged patients was approximately 3.2 hours. (among the shortest wait times in the Zone).
  • Approximately 80% of the patients who were seen reside in Sherwood Park/Strathcona County, with the remainder from Edmonton, Fort Saskatchewan, Beaumont, Tofield and other areas throughout Alberta.
  • The hospital staff and physicians are equipped to deal with all types of emergency, urgent and complicated cases. The onsite Emergency Medical Services team can rapidly transport the three to four per cent of patients requiring advanced care and diagnostics to a site providing specialized care in the region.
  • Community & rural hospitals saw approximately 30% of the total Edmonton Zone emergency department visit volume in 2013-14, and this year are on-track for about 33%.

Diagnostic Imaging

  • Total number of Diagnostic Imaging visits* from May 2014 to March 31, 2015 – 24,985 *includes general imaging; ultrasound; and CT scanning
  • These patients would have previously had to travel out of this community for some DI services.

EMS

  • Total transports by Metro EMS to Strathcona from May 2014 to March 31, 2015 – 1,583 patients. (These transports have not affected regular ambulance service in Strathcona County.)
  • *AHS maintains a dedicated advanced life support (ALS) ambulance at Strathcona to rapidly transport patients for advanced care to a site providing specialized care, or patients requiring admission to an inpatient hospital bed.

Other Visits

  • Total number of Laboratory Service visits from May 2014 to March 31, 2015 – 19,860
  • Total Community Rehabilitation Interdisciplinary Services visits from May 2014 to March 31, 2015 – 2,020
  • Total Ambulatory Care clinics* visits from May 2014 to February 28, 2015 – 3,009
  • *clinics include:
    • ED Transition Clinic (wound care, medication management and teaching for any condition needing short-term follow up)
    • Orthopedics follow-up
    • Seniors
    • Pain
    • Teen
    • Neurology
    • ENT
    • Pediatrics
    • Women’s
    • Allergy
  • Total patients attending education sessions to manage chronic diseases - 201 patients

Collaboration

  • Strathcona Community Hospital and the Sherwood Park Primary Care Network have worked collaboratively to ensure there is no duplication of services in ambulatory services offerings.
  • A Liaison working group has been formed between the hospital and the PCN to discuss issues of concern. To date these discussions have focused on patient flow and communication between primary care physicians and the hospital, as well as access for community physicians to services at the hospital.

Latest Addition

  • Mental Health and Addictions moved their community clinic services onto the site in spring of 2015. This has improved clinic spaces for patients and work environment for staff.