More than $2.5 million invested in Ft. McMurray health care

December 7, 2015

Upgrades, repairs improve Northern Lights Regional Health Centre

FORT McMURRAY — More than $2.5 million in repairs and upgrades have been completed in the last year at the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre to improve the local Alberta Health Services (AHS) facility.

Among the improvements:

  • More than $1.2 million was spent on a new fire suppression system in the electrical maintenance, data hub and server rooms. It uses non-toxic gasses rather than water to extinguish fires in these areas, saving electrical and data equipment from water damage.
  • About $1.4 million of funding from the Government of Alberta’s Infrastructure Maintenance Program (IMP) was spent to replace older pipes with new sewage lines.

“This investment is an important part of helping our patients stay well and extending the use of this facility,” says Shelly Pusch, Chief Zone Officer, North Zone, AHS. “It is also vital we keep our health care infrastructure up to date.”

“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,” adds Sarah Hoffman, Minister of Health. “These projects help make that a reality, and are 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.

Each year, AHS submits a list of IMP priority renovation, repair or upgrade projects for the next three years to Alberta Health and Alberta Infrastructure 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 more than 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.

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For media inquiries, contact:

Jason Morton
AHS Communications
403-943-1861

Carolyn Ziegler
Assistant Director, Media Relations Alberta Health
780-415-2496