(rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Sheldon Spackman

Project Update

Red Deer Regional Hospital expansion expected to begin next fall

Nov 12, 2020 | 11:34 AM

Final stages of planning are now underway to expand and upgrade Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre (RDRHC).

A government spokesperson says construction on the $100 million expansion announced in February is expected to begin in fall 2021.

“Alberta’s government recognizes how important it is to get the people of Red Deer the healthcare they need,” says Press Secretary Eliza Snider in a statement to rdnewsNOW.

“The project includes the expansion of ambulatory care services, the redevelopment of the hospital, and will lay the ground work for the expansion of cardiology specialty services, like developing building space for cardiac catheterization. These upgrades will meet the long-term healthcare needs of Red Deer and Central Alberta.”

According to Alberta Health Services (AHS), the existing hospital campus consists of five buildings of various ages that have been modified and upgraded over the last 10 years to accommodate program changes.

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Officials say work on the expansion project was paused for about three months earlier this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Work on the first phase of the business case has since resumed.

Alberta Infrastructure has partnered with consultant Altus Planning Inc. on finalizing recommendations on the expanded hospital campus. This is said to include finalizing services that could more appropriately be located elsewhere in the community to keep people well and out of hospital.

Enhanced cardiac care – including cardiac catheterization – has been identified as one of the priorities for Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre and is one of the services that will be considered as part of the Business Case.

Previous planning work has also identified the need for not only physical space to provide such a service, but extensive supporting services that are required before such specialized care could be offered.

Currently, Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre provides a full spectrum of acute care, including advanced surgery, internal medicine and diagnostics, as well as obstetrics, pediatrics, oncology, critical care and emergency care.

Government officials note that approximately 50 per cent of patients seen at RDRHC are referred from outside Red Deer.

WATCH: Provincial investments announced for Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre