Doubling surgical capacity in Rocky Mountain House

Rural Albertans will be able to access surgeries quicker and closer to home now that the expansion and renovation of the Rocky Mountain House Health Centre is complete.

The Rocky Mountain House Health Centre has been providing residents with health care since 1971, including surgical services. Alberta Infrastructure has completed an addition to the facility, which includes a new operating room. This will enable approximately 120 Albertans per month to receive surgery, doubling the number of monthly surgeries. This additional, brand-new operating room is also expected to decrease the wait lists for surgeries.

The expanded Rocky Mountain House Health Centre provides an additional 440 square metres (4,736 square feet) and includes:

a new operating room,
6 additional recovery beds,
a patient support area, and
an updated medical device reprocessing department.

The new spaces can be accessed from the existing site thanks to the addition of an upgraded hallway that connects the two buildings.

“Completing the expansion and renovation of the Rocky Mountain House Health Centre is a significant step forward in delivering Alberta Surgical Initiative projects province wide. This investment into health care infrastructure will increase surgical capacity, helping Albertans get treatment when and where they need it.”

Pete Guthrie, Minister of Infrastructure

The Rocky Mountain House Health Centre upgrade is part of the Alberta Surgical Initiative (ASI), which aims to enhance surgical capacity across the province by expanding and maximizing existing health care space. Over the next three years, the 2024 Capital Plan is providing $313 million for ASI projects throughout the province.

Alberta Infrastructure and Alberta Health Services share the responsibility for delivering ASI projects. Alberta Health Services leads the delivery of smaller projects, while Alberta Infrastructure delivers capital projects over $5 million.

“Albertans deserve timely access to surgeries, and they should be able to get them close to home. The expansion and renovation of the Rocky Mountain House Health Centre will increase its capacity so more Albertans can get the surgeries they need when they need them. Through the Alberta Surgical Initiative, we are improving access to surgical care and funding projects across the province, including in rural communities like Rocky Mountain House.”

Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Health

Alberta Infrastructure is working on 20 ASI projects in communities across Alberta, including Brooks, Calgary, Camrose, Edmonton, Fort Saskatchewan, Innisfail, Lethbridge, Olds, Ponoka, St. Albert and Stettler. Lethbridge will be the next community to benefit from a completed ASI project. The expansion of two operating rooms and more surgical inpatient rooms at the Chinook Regional Hospital is anticipated to be completed later this fall.

“The expanded Rocky Mountain House Health Centre will help ensure more residents can access surgeries and receive the care they need in a timely manner. Investments like these in rural Alberta matter and I’d like to thank Minister Guthrie and Minister LaGrange for delivering on this project that will double our surgical capacity in Rocky Mountain House.”

Jason Nixon, MLA, Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre

Quick facts

The total budget for the Rocky Mountain House Health Centre ASI project was $15 million.
This Alberta Infrastructure project was completed on time and on budget. Approximately 85 construction-related jobs were created during the project.
In addition to the new building, other renovations include new mechanical and electrical building systems.
Alberta Infrastructure is managing other ASI projects at the following locations:

Brooks Health Centre
Calgary

Alberta Children’s Hospital
Foothills Medical Centre
South Health Campus

Camrose – St. Mary’s Hospital

Edmonton

Grey Nuns Community Hospital
Misericordia Community Hospital
Royal Alexandra Hospital
Walter C. Mackenzie Centre (University of Alberta Hospital)

Fort Saskatchewan Community Hospital
Innisfail Health Centre
Lethbridge – Chinook Regional Hospital
Olds Hospital and Care Centre
Ponoka Hospital and Care Centre
St. Albert – Sturgeon Community Hospital
Stettler Hospital and Care Centre

Other ASI projects completed by Alberta Infrastructure:

Grande Prairie Regional Health Centre (completed in July 2022)
University of Alberta (completed September 2023)

Related Topics:#AlbertaHealth #AlbertaSurgicalInitiative #RockyMountainHouseHealthCentre #RockyMountainHouseHospital feature

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Published on November 22, 2024

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By Clare Marie Merkowsky

Alberta Health Services has been accused of attempting to vaccinate a child in school against his parent’s wishes.

On November 6, Alberta Health Services staffers visited Edmonton Hardisty School where they reportedly attempted to vaccinate a grade 6 student despite his parents signing a form stating that they did not wish for him to receive the vaccines.

“It is clear they do not prioritize parental rights, and in not doing so, they traumatize students,” the boy’s mother Kerri Findling told the Counter Signal.

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However, in this case, Findling alleged that AHS staffers told her son to proceed to the vaccination area, despite seeing that she had written “refused” on his form.

When the boy asked if he could return to the classroom, as he was certain his parents did not intend for him to receive the shots, the staff reportedly said “no.” However, he chose to return to the classroom anyway.

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Alberta’s fiscal update projects budget surplus, but fiscal fortunes could quickly turn

Published on November 21, 2024

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By Tegan Hill

According to the recent mid-year update tabled Thursday, the Smith government projects a $4.6 billion surplus in 2024/25, up from the $2.9 billion surplus projected just a few months ago. Despite the good news, Premier Smith must reduce spending to avoid budget deficits.

The fiscal update projects resource revenue of $20.3 billion in 2024/25. Today’s relatively high—but very volatile—resource revenue (including oil and gas royalties) is helping finance today’s spending and maintain a balanced budget. But it will not last forever.

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This should come as no surprise. Alberta’s been on the resource revenue rollercoaster for decades. Successive governments have increased spending during the good times of high resource revenue, but failed to rein in spending when resource revenues fell.

Previous research has shown that, in Alberta, a $1 increase in resource revenue is associated with an estimated 56-cent increase in program spending the following fiscal year (on a per-person, inflation-adjusted basis). However, a decline in resource revenue is not similarly associated with a reduction in program spending. This pattern has led to historically high levels of government spending—and budget deficits—even in more recent years.

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