A Sherwood Park hospital will be expanding with some help from the province.
On Wednesday (Apr. 12) morning, Alberta health minister Jason Copping was at the Strathcona Community Hospital to announce that the provincial government plans to invest $3 million into the facility over the next three years.
"By investing in the Strathcona Community Hospital expansion, we are investing in the health and well-being of the community and people who need access to high-quality healthcare services close to home," said Copping.
"Funding in Budget 2023 will start the planning process to expand the hospital so it can continue meeting residents’ needs for decades to come.”
The hospital, which first opened in 2014, serves Sherwood Park and the surrounding area. It currently houses a 24-hour emergency care ward, on-site diagnostic services, ambulatory care clinics, as well as programs to help patients suffering from chronic disease, addiction, and mental health disorders.
Despite this, the hospital is not considered to be full service, as they do not provide overnight stays and do not provide surgeries of any kind.
“One of the top concerns I hear from Strathcona County residents is about an expansion of our local hospital," said Nate Glubish, the MLA for Strathcona-Sherwood Park.
"I'm excited about this funding commitment, which is an important step forward to improve health outcomes locally and to ease pressures on surrounding hospitals and clinics."
The hospital treats more than 46,000 patients a year in the emergency department and just over 21,000 patients in the ambulatory clinics.
Of all their patients, 80 per cent of them are from the surrounding community, with the other 20 per cent coming from Edmonton and other nearby communities.