Timelines revealed for Red Deer Regional Hospital expansion project

“Our government is fully committed to seeing it done. I am fully committed to making sure that it gets done and I think my colleagues are a little afraid of me; they know I’m a bit of a pit bull when I’ve got something that needs to happen,” she said.

Separated into two projects completed simultaneously, the first part consists of the construction of a new inpatient tower and expansion and renovation of the hospital’s existing main building, while the second project consists of the construction of an ambulatory care building.

So far, Minister of Infrastructure Peter Guthrie says the project is on time and on budget.

INPATIENT TOWER AND EXISTING BUILDING

With the functional programming, geotechnical survey, traffic impact assessment, and parking study completed last year, the schematic design was completed this February, showcasing the shape and size of the new building for its clinical components.

Schematics complete for Red Deer Regional Hospital expansion, says Infrastructure Minister

Video of Red Deer Regional Hospital expansion project schematics. (rdnewsNOW/Alessia Proietti)

Maciej Burzynski, Director of the project for Aberta Infrastructure, said the new inpatient tower will consist of nearly 600,000 square feet of clinical space with 31 clinical programs spanning over six floors, along with a new centralized power plant.

The next phase will be the design development, which takes schematics a step further by drawing the layouts for each room, as well as mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. He says Dialog Design have already started this work, with Guthrie stating the step could take up to three years.

Burzynski says a development permit application will be submitted with the City of Red Deer this April, along with a Request for Proposal for a construction manager, followed by more public engagement sessions. He says with a contract awarded in June, they expect to begin construction late 2024 and completion by 2029.

The project includes renovations to 250,000 square feet of the existing hospital, with a full completion date by 2034.

AMBULATORY CARE BUILDING

The stand alone 200,000 square foot building with mandatory services and clinical support space will be located on a current parking lot across from the hospital.

READ: City council approves rezoning and lane closure application for proposed Ambulatory Care Facility

Burzynski says the functional programming, public-private-partnership (P3) business case, geotechnical testing and indicative design have all been completed. A request for qualifications has been released and proponent shortlisting are currently being reviewed. With the project procurement documentation completed this April, a request for proposals will be issued this May, as Alberta Infrastructure works with the shortlisted groups to complete the designs, and a contract awarded to a team in May 2025. He says construction will commence in June 2025 and completion in 2029.

FUNDING

While the new inpatient tower and renovations to the existing building will be completed in the traditional model of construction management, some criticisms have been shared regarding the use of the P3 model for the ambulatory care building.

“For any project over $100 million, we will do a cost-benefit analysis to see whether or not P3 is viable. If it presents a value-for-money proposition that’s going to benefit taxpayers, then we move ahead and if not, we don’t [and] we go in a different direction,” said Guthrie, adding that P3 models are used in the United States, Europe, and over 100 healthcare projects in Canada.

LaGrange added that issues in the past with the model were around contracts rather than the buildings themselves and that Guthrie has worked diligently to fix those bottlenecks.

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According to the new budget, $810 million will be invested over the next three years towards the $1.8 million investment overall. MLA for Red Deer-South Jason Stephan pointed out that it would be the biggest infrastructure project in the province’s history.

PUBLIC REACTIONS

City of Red Deer Mayor Ken Johnston said the news was emotionally positive, noting he began his advocacy for the project after his first wife passed away seven years ago at the hospital.

“The generational impact of this hospital is going to be an impact on RDP [Red Deer Polytechnic] in terms of the nursing programs, in terms of housing, in terms of further careers. This hospital will spur a wave of growth in Red Deer over the next three to ten years that we could only imagine so it’s an incredible day for the city,” he said.

Full room at the Chalet in Westerner Park on Thursday for the public information session regarding the Red Deer Regional Hospital expansion project. (rdnewsNOW/Alessia Proietti)

Dr. Keith Wolstenholme, orthopedic surgeon at the hospital and member of the Society for Hospital Expansion in Central Alberta (SHECA), said that while he is happy to see transparent timelines, one of their requests during the project’s process, there has been no update for a plan during construction and for staffing after completion.

“It’s a bit disappointing that we still haven’t had a formal bridge plan or transition plan. We know that the care that we’re able to provide, as far as capacity, is not enough right now. We know that we’re struggling in many areas, our emergency department is understaffed; we only have 60 per cent of the physicians we’re supposed to have right now in the emergency department. We know that cardiology, general internal medicine, has many nights uncovered,” he said.

Dr. Michael Mulholland, Facility Medical Director for Alberta Health Services at the hospital, said a senior team is currently holding weekly meetings with frontline staff for the initial parts of the transition plan. Some examples include administrative staff to work increasingly from home so the office space can be used as medical day rooms and creating new corridors between areas. He says a memo will be sent out next week notifying of the parkade’s top floor closure to begin its expansion.

Lynn Van Laar, SHECA supporter, expressed frustrations, stating the parkade is being prioritized over other hospital elements.

“I will not believe that this hospital expansion will happen until I see concrete and rebar; not just shovels in the ground, but I want to see things going up,” she said.

LaGrange added that the budget also includes $236 million to support a healthcare action plan to reduce wait times, build capacity, and empower healthcare workers, which she has heard is already starting to show improvements.

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by Alessia Proietti

Timelines revealed for Red Deer Regional Hospital expansion project

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