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Ground broken on new community health centre in Lacombe

Sep 7, 2018 | 1:46 PM

Construction is now underway on a new community health centre in Lacombe.

Dignitaries gathered on Tuesday this week to see shovels hit the dirt on a building at 4580 46 Street that will see Alberta Health Services (AHS) lease 17,000 square feet of space in the new building to offer residents a wide-range of community-based health services all under one roof.

AHS officials say the new facility will become home for health programs and services currently offered at two downtown locations: the Provincial Building and Parkland Place.

With construction anticipated to be complete in fall of 2019, programs and services moving to the new facility will be done so in phases.

Those community health programs include immunization clinics, pre and post-natal support, home care and children’s rehabilitation services which are currently offered at the Provincial Building.

Others include seniors outreach nurses, adult and youth addiction services and adult and youth therapy currently offered at Parkland Place.

Kerry Bales, Chief Zone Officer for AHS Central Zone says the new space is needed as they’ve simply outgrown their current facilities.

“By locating all of these services under one roof, it allows us to improve the service we’re going to be able to provide the residents of Lacombe, as well as give us some options for growth into the future,” he explains. “Being able to provide services through a community health centre is just a very important part of a community’s primary care. With the work that we can do through a centre such as that, it helps to prevent the progression of illness and really reduce the reliance on things such as acute care hospital or emergency department care.”

As programs begin to transition to the new facility when it opens late next year, it’s expected the City of Lacombe will start to repurpose the Provincial Building.

“I welcome the construction of this healthcare facility, as it is an important step towards better community-based care for Lacombe and area residents,” adds City of Lacombe Mayor Grant Creasey, in a press release. ”The new community health centre will provide citizens, especially young families and seniors, with greater access to the medical care and supports they need.”