Alberta is investing $39 million into expanding its urgent care network, with funding earmarked over the next three years for planning and land purchases for nine new centers.
The planned locations span Sylvan Lake, west and south Edmonton, the Stony Plain-Spruce Grove region, east Calgary, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Cold Lake and Fort McMurray.
Hospital and Surgical Health Services Minister Adriana LaGrange made the announcement Monday at the Sylvan Lake Community Health Centre.
The investment will more than double the province’s urgent care sites, taking the total from six to 15. Officials project the expansion will increase capacity by 150 per cent and shift as many as 300,000 visits away from hospital emergency departments each year.
LaGrange, who also represents Red Deer-North, emphasized the need to match services with population growth. “If your child needs stitches after a fall or you think you’ve broken a bone, you shouldn’t have to drive down the highway just to get help. Not every health concern requires a trip to the emergency room,” she said. “Every Albertan deserves access to timely, high-quality care close to home, regardless of their postal code.”
Alberta’s emergency departments currently handle more than two million visits annually. LaGrange noted that more than one-third of those cases could be treated in an urgent care setting instead. The new centers are expected to get patients seen sooner while easing pressure on hospitals.
Construction timelines will vary by site and hinge on land acquisition and completed planning.
LaGrange said her goal is to have centres operational within three years of groundbreaking, though that depends on how quickly materials and labour can be secured.
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