Residents from High Prairie, Alta. and the surrounding regions now have access to expanded health care services, including more acute care and continuing care beds, due to the newly-opened High Prairie Health Complex.
The $228-million facility includes a state-of-the-art emergency department, an acute care clinical building, a continuing care centre and the High Prairie Community Health and Wellness clinic. The new facility features 67 continuing care beds, which doubles the number of continuing care spaces in the community.
“This beautiful, modern facility brings expanded health care services closer to home for residents of High Prairie and surrounding communities,” said Sarah Hoffman, Minister of Health, in a press release.
The health complex will feature a new computerized tomography (CT) scanner, which means patients can stay in High Prairie to use this service, unlike before. The High Prairie and District Health Foundation raised funds to help purchase this equipment.
The continuing care wing of the health complex was designed with a focus on patient-centred care. All rooms are private, equipped with lifts, accessible bathrooms and large windows. The facility brings the majority of health services for the region under one roof, including outpatient, Indigenous health, addiction and mental health and home care. It also offers diagnostic imaging, laboratory and inpatient pharmacy services. There is also space which can be used to develop a labour and delivery unit, surgical services and a dialysis unit.
The land for the healthcare facility was contributed by the Peavine Metis Settlement.
“Members of the Peavine Metis Settlement have always taken pride in being contributors to the High Prairie and surrounding area,” said Chairman Iner Gauchier. “The donation of land to support the building of this exceptional new facility was a way of continuing this tradition. The partnerships that were developed with the Government of Alberta leading the way are extremely significant. This facility will be instrumental in the delivery of quality health care services to the residents of the area, including the three Metis Settlements and First Nations communities.”
A full range of public health services will also be available when the Community Health and Wellness Clinic opens in June, including chronic disease management, early childhood development and health promotion.
