Northern Lights Regional Health Centre

An investment in health care in Fort McMurray incorporates renovations, expansions and upgrades at the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre (NLRHC), and contributes to community health and wellness.

“We are pleased with the commitment to projects to enhance health care in Fort McMurray,” says Allan Bradley, vice president of the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre. “This funding will allow us to increase access to health services in our community and respond to the health care needs of a growing population.”

A $10 million commitment at the NLRHC allows phase two of the ambulatory care and emergency room renovations, which includes renovation and expansion of the emergency department, to proceed. Replacement of a sewer line and domestic hot water recirculation piping is part of the facility upgrade, too.

“Our emergency department was initially built to serve 35,000 visits per year. Currently, we’re seeing more than 60,000, making these enhancements one of our top priorities,” says Bradley. “We anticipate shorter wait times, a larger treatment area and a streamlined process in our emergency department. In addition, triage and registration will be greatly improved with better security and more confidentiality in the process.”

Emergency department renovations will also see the ambulance bay doubling in size, the overall gross area of the department increasing nearly 40 per cent in size, and treatment spaces growing by 60 per cent.

Meanwhile, external to the hospital, more than $28 million had been previously allocated to develop community health and wellness capacity in Fort McMurray, including planning and construction of a community health and wellness centre in Timberlea. This community health and wellness centre will be staffed by a multidisciplinary team of health professionals, increasing access to primary health services in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo.