Misericordia Community Hospital in Edmonton, Canada has unveiled its new emergency department (ED), after an upgrade to the 54-year-old facility.
The new $85m, 5,500m2 facility was delivered as part of a multi-year revamp plan.
It increases the existing emergency department's capacity by nearly three-fold, helping it handle up to 60,000 patient visits annually.
This expansion is expected to alleviate pressure on emergency departments across the region.
The previous department, designed for 25,000 patients, managed 55,000 visits annually.
The new space, with 60 treatment areas as compared to 26 previously, aims to improve efficiency, reduce wait times, and enhance the overall patient experience.
It will comprise specialised care spaces aim to facilitate smooth patient flow, addressing infection control concerns.
Additional upgrades include specialised care spaces, ambulance bays, treatment rooms, radiology facilities, isolation rooms, acute care spaces, and a decontamination suite.
Community donors contributed $2.3m for specialised equipment and staff training.
The Misericordia's overall renovation plan includes future upgrades for the entire hospital, managed by Covenant Health.
Announced in the 2017 budget, construction of this new ED commenced in 2020, as part of the C$400m ($291.81m) over four years for a new hospital in Edmonton.
The construction of this new ED was announced in the 2017 budget and began in 2020.
It is said to be part of the $400m initiative for the development of a new hospital in Edmonton.
Covenant Health CEO Patrick Dumelie was quoted as saying by CBC.ca: “We've had lots of challenges with floods and infrastructure and those sorts of things.
“But the government and AHS have been great in terms of making sure we repair those and keep the old girl going.”
