The province has promised eight new urgent care facilities, including one in Medicine Hat, to handle non-life-threatening issues and to ease burden at hospital emergency rooms. The ER at the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital is seen in this file photo.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
asmith@medicinehatnews.com
To help address the growing need for health care, Alberta’s government has promised urgent care centres to seven different communities, including Medicine Hat, as part of Budget 2025.
Currently, more than 35 per cent of emergency department visits are for non-life-threatening conditions that could be treated at urgent care centres, the province says. To address this, they are seeking to build eight urgent care centres in seven different municipalities.
“If passed, Budget 2025 includes $15 million to support plans for eight new urgent care centres and an additional $2 million in planning funds for an integrated primary and urgent care facility in Airdrie,” said the province. “These investments will help redirect up to 200,000 lower-acuity emergency department visits annually, freeing up capacity for life-threatening cases, reducing wait times and improving access to care for Albertans.”
The new facilities will be in Medicine Hat, Lethbridge, west Edmonton, south Edmonton, Westview, east Calgary, Cold Lake and Fort McMurray. These locations were selected based on current and projected increases in demand for lower-acuity care at emergency departments.
“Too many Albertans, especially those living in rural communities, are travelling significant distances to receive care. Advancing plans for new urgent care centres will build capacity across the health care system,” said Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA and parliamentary secretary for rural health Justin Wright.
“More people are choosing to call Alberta home, which is why we are taking action to build capacity across the health care system,” said Minister of Health Adriana Lagrange. “Urgent care centres help bridge the gap between primary care and emergency departments, providing timely care for non-life-threatening conditions.”
