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County gives $35,000 for healthcare equipment in Sylvan Lake

Apr 24, 2018 | 2:28 PM

Red Deer County council has approved $35,000 for life-saving equipment at the new Sylvan Lake Advanced Ambulatory Care Service facility.

Specifically, the money will go towards a type of defibrillator machine to assist with the resuscitation and stabilization of patients in life-threatening condition.

Susan Samson, Chair of the Sylvan Lake Urgent Care Committee, said she’s overwhelmed by council’s support.

“It’s going to be one of our largest donations to date. The words from mayor and council just make me remember how hard we’ve all worked to get here,” she said following Tuesday’s council meeting. “It’s the right thing to do and everybody on this council, when they voted for it, realizes how important it is to their residents.”

In the early days of the venture to bring urgent healthcare services to Sylvan Lake, the County provided both a letter of support and $2,000 to aid in putting together a business case.

Mayor Jim Wood said council knows the facility will help relieve some of the pressure at the emergency room at Red Deer Regional Hospital.

“That will benefit the entire region,” he said. “Red Deer County, at times, has to step up for things that are important to our community.”

Wood pointed out that the County also provided $40,000 for the Delburne Medical Centre in May 2017, $36,000 to STARS Air Ambulance in January 2017, and annual funding to the Festival of Trees, which benefits the hospital in Red Deer.

The committee had requested $31,600 from Red Deer County and will be presenting a similar request to Lacombe County. 

To date, Samson says the committee has raised more than $200,000 to fund equipment at the facility, over and above what Alberta Health is spending to build it. The province is also providing annual operating funds to the tune of $2.1 million.

Opening day is expected to be June 4 for the $2.5 million building, with the group hoping for a grand opening event on June 19, pending confirmation from the health minister.