Sargent Family Kidney Care Centre expands services in Grande Prairie

New facility brings clinics and more comprehensive care closer to home

Story & photos by Sara Blake

GRANDE PRAIRIE — Born with a degenerative kidney disease, Cam Neil has been a familiar face at the dialysis unit in Grande Prairie for many years.

“I count my blessings that I was able to do 90 per cent of my treatment close to home where I was able to see friends and live my life,” says Neil, 34, a former dialysis patient and two-time kidney transplant recipient. “Being able to be close to the people who support you and keep you going is a huge factor in recovery.”

It’s now easier for people in Grande Prairie and beyond to access the kidney care services they need, with less travel outside of their region. Previously located on the second floor of Mackenzie Place, dialysis has now moved to a larger, purpose-built space in the former Cancer Clinic area of the Queen Elizabeth II (QEII) Ambulatory Care Centre. The Cancer Clinic relocated to the new Grande Prairie Regional Hospital in 2021.

Until recently, kidney care services in Grande Prairie were located at several different locations. The new Sargent Family Kidney Care Centre has brought them all under one roof, and then some. The consolidated space includes additional hemodialysis capacity, home peritoneal dialysis, the Diabetic Nephropathy Prevention Clinic and the Chronic Kidney Disease Clinic.

“The Chronic Kidney Disease Clinic is a new addition to this area, helping to bring proactive and preventative care closer to home for patients in the region,” adds Andrew Kwan, Patient Care Manager for the Alberta Kidney Care-North program. “We’re very grateful to all the partners and supporters involved in making this possible.”

The project was made possible thanks to a $3.9-million investment: $2.4 million through the Government of Alberta and $1.5 million from the local Sargent family via the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital Foundation.

“We are extremely grateful to the Sargent family for supporting this initiative,” says Sean Doerkson, chief executive officer of the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital Foundation. “Improving access to this vital healthcare resource will enhance the quality of life for individuals with kidney disease and significantly impact our community in a positive way.”

Hemodialysis has expanded from five to six stations, allowing care teams to provide treatments for nine additional patients each week, with further expansion possible in the future. Home peritoneal dialysis, first introduced to the region in 2022, has also grown to offer more local training and follow-up.

Patients began receiving care in the new space in late August, with a few finishing touches added to the centre this fall.

Aside from regular check-ups, Neil hasn’t needed dialysis or other kidney treatments since his latest surgery in 2023. He says the new Kidney Care Centre is a welcome addition for patients like him.

“The new place is great, it’s welcoming and roomy,” says Neil. “I think this was a great step in the right direction towards broadening healthcare services in the north.”

Alberta Kidney Care-North provides assessment, treatment, and follow-up for people with kidney problems in the geographical area that includes central and northern Alberta, where more than 182,000 facility-based hemodialysis treatments were delivered last year. The program also provides other treatments for kidney failure, including home peritoneal dialysis, home hemodialysis and conservative care.