Expanding cardiac services in southern Alberta

Plans for a cardiac catheterization lab at Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge are advancing to functional programming.

Alberta’s government is working to ensure Albertans living in southern Alberta have access to the cardiac services and care they need close to home. The planning work for a cardiac catheterization laboratory in Lethbridge has been underway since 2022 and is now complete. Alberta Health is moving the project forward to the next stage, which will define the project’s scope, schedule, budget and associated impacts.

“Residents in southern Alberta should not have to travel for comprehensive cardiac care. Expanding services and building a new cardiac catheterization lab will help residents access the services and treatments they need close to home.” — Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Health

Earlier this year, Alberta Health Services submitted a needs assessment for cardiac services in southern Alberta. Typically, the next step in the process would be to develop a business case to assess options to address the identified needs and gaps; however, the needs assessment for this project identified solutions within existing facilities and it was determined the project could advance to functional programming. This will expedite the project timelines by up to one year.

To date, government has approved $2 million to support project planning.

“Alberta Infrastructure is proud to work with our partner ministries to streamline project planning. We are looking forward to delivering the new cardiac catheterization lab at the Chinook Regional Hospital in a timely and cost-effective manner to improve access to vital cardiac services for residents in southern Alberta.” — Pete Guthrie, Minister of Infrastructure

The completed functional program will be used to inform capital funding discussions and decisions for future budget preparations.

Quick facts

• Compared with the provincial average, residents of southern Alberta are 30 per cent more likely to die from cardiac-related disease.

• The submitted needs assessment recommended the construction of new intensive care units at Chinook Regional Hospital and Medicine Hat Regional Hospital, and the development of interventional cardiac services in Lethbridge.

• The Health Facilities Capital Program Manual provides an overview of the provincial health capital planning process.

• Project stages include clinical services plan, needs assessment, business case, functional program, and design and construction.