<p>More than $1.2 million invested in local health care</p>

Upgrades and repairs improve service at Two Hills Health Centre

TWO HILLS — More than $1.2 million in repairs and upgrades have been completed this summer at the Two Hills Health Centre to improve services at the local Alberta Health Services (AHS) facility.

Among the improvements:

• More than $814,000 was spent to repair and replace parts of the centre’s roof.
• About $230,000 was spent on repairs and upgrades to patient safety systems, including a notification system that alerts staff when patients wander from their rooms when they shouldn’t do so. A new fire extinguishing system automatically sets off sprinklers in the case of a fire.
• A $187,000 upgrade was made as part of a project to switch the facility’s main water supply from an osmosis well to the City of Edmonton’s water supply. This will ensure continued access to safe, fresh water.

“These investments are an important part of helping our patients stay well,” says Kerry Bales, Chief Zone Officer, Central Zone, AHS. “It is also vital we keep our health care infrastructure up to date.”

Funding for these projects came from the Government of Alberta’s Infrastructure Maintenance Program (IMP). In recent years, additional IMP funding has been invested in other projects at the Two Hills Health Centre, including heliport retrofit, replacement of security systems, and repairs to water supply and electrical systems.

“No matter where you live in the province, it’s important that your health care needs can be met as close to home as possible,” says Sarah Hoffman, Minister of Health. “This project helps make that a reality, and is part of our commitment to manage and improve health infrastructure and capital across Alberta.”

AHS, in partnership with Alberta Infrastructure and Alberta Health, is building and renewing facilities across the province to provide accessible, sustainable, quality health care to all Albertans. AHS currently has about 270 maintenance projects underway throughout the province.

AHS submits to Alberta Health and Alberta Infrastructure an annual list of IMP priority renovation, repair or upgrade projects for the next three years to ensure the projects meet program criteria. Projects are ranked in priority from those that must be done immediately to ensure safety and health of patients and staff, to non-urgent projects that need to be addressed over time.

Taking into account the diverse needs of Albertans, AHS is strategically investing in the health system to support patients and communities to stay healthy and manage illness effectively.

AHS maintains over 450 facilities throughout the province, including hospitals, clinics, continuing care facilities, mental health facilities and community health sites.

Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.

• News release

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