December 2, 2021
GRANDE PRAIRIE – Alberta’s newest hospital is ready to begin accepting patients this weekend.
Grande Prairie Regional Hospital, located at 11205 110 St. in Grande Prairie, will begin caring for patients starting Saturday. The emergency department (ED) at the new Alberta Health Services (AHS) facility will open at 6 a.m., when the ED at the Queen Elizabeth II (QEII) Hospital closes to the public. Anyone seeking immediate medical care, including obstetrics services, after 6 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 4 should go to the new hospital.
At the same time, inpatients at the QEII Hospital will start being moved to the new hospital by EMS transport vehicles. Loved ones are asked to refrain from visiting patients on Saturday to streamline the transfer and ensure patient safety. Designated support visitors will be welcome once patients are moved in and comfortable at the new facility.
“Our Grande Prairie healthcare teams are excited to be moving into this wonderful new facility,” says Stacy Greening, AHS Senior Operating Officer for Grande Prairie. “This long-awaited new hospital was purposely designed with the patient and family experience in mind, and we look forward to caring for the community here.The facility offers many enhancements that will benefit patients right from Day 1.”
Grande Prairie Regional Hospital has 11 operating room suites (ORs), including two ORs supported by the Alberta Surgical initiative and a dedicated obstetrical OR in the maternity unit. A state-of-the-art cancer centre features two radiation vaults, making Grande Prairie the fifth centre in Alberta — and the first in AHS North Zone — to offer radiation therapy. The building also includes a 4,000-sq.-metre space, in partnership with Grande Prairie Regional College, for the education of future nurses and other healthcare professionals.
“We are proud to be offering expanded healthcare services in this beautiful, modern setting,” says AHS President and CEO Dr. Verna Yiu. “I’d like to offer my gratitude to all our teams that have been working hard to commission this new facility during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are grateful for your perseverance and look forward to providing care in this new facility.”
AHS gained possession of the new facility from Alberta Infrastructure in the summer of 2020 and began the operational planning and commissioning phase of the project. This crucial stage ensures the facility, the building and medical systems, and healthcare teams are all fully prepared to provide safe and quality care to our patients prior to opening.
While the QEII will remain open for some ambulatory healthcare services, including dialysis, community-based rehabilitation services and Mackenzie Place continuing care, all acute or inpatient clinical services will be provided at the new hospital. Acute care units at the QEII will be closed as of Saturday.
The QEII Laboratory is now closed for outpatient blood collections. Anyone requiring laboratory services can visit Alberta Precision Laboratories’ community collection sites at Junction Point or Grande Prairie College & Community Health Centre. For more information on lab hours, locations, and to book an appointment, visit albertaprecisionlabs.ca.
Health screening, masking and all other existing COVID-19 protocols will be in place at the new hospital, as they continue to be at all other healthcare facilities. We ask that individuals not go to the new hospital unless they are in need of medical care or visiting a patient.
For more information about Grande Prairie Regional Hospital, visit ahs.ca/gprh. Several videos featuring highlights of the new hospital are available. Additional b-roll footage and photos of the facility are available for media use.
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.
