October 10, 2014
Named in honour of 1984 Edmonton Oilers Stanley Cup champions
EDMONTON – Pediatric patients and their families have improved access to specialty health services with today’s official opening of the Edmonton Oilers Ambulatory Clinic at the Stollery Children’s Hospital.
The $15.8-million facility brings under one roof more than 40 clinic services — previously located at different Alberta Health Services (AHS) sites — which will enable patients to see multiple specialists during a single visit. Each service has been given additional rooms so more appointments can be booked and more patients seen. Two new rheumatologists and a new gastrointestinal (GI) physician have been added to address increasing demand for their services.
The additional space will provide sufficient capacity for an expected 30 per cent increase in patient volume over the next 10 years.
The Government of Alberta contributed $13.8 million to the project, along with a legacy gift from the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation, which is part of a $2-million donation from the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation.
“This initiative will increase collaboration and communication among health care providers, which can only serve our patients better. I support any initiative that can streamline services and access and put patients and their families first,” says Health Minister Stephen Mandel.
AHS President and CEO Vickie Kaminski says consolidating services in one location will lead to a more team-based approach to care.
“An ENT (ears, nose and throat) physician could be seeing a pediatric patient with a tracheotomy and have a question for a respiratory therapist or speech pathologist. Now that ENT doctor can just walk down the hall and have that discussion,” says Kaminski.
“For patients and their families, that means they can have access to multiple specialists during one visit as opposed to scheduling multiple visits at locations throughout the city. Animal images and colour coding are used to help children and their families find where they need to go. These are the sort of patient- and family-centred ideas that are at the heart of everything we do at AHS.”
Key outpatient services now available at the Edmonton Oilers Ambulatory Clinic include allergy/immunology; ENT; gastroenterology; pediatric infectious diseases; pulmonary function lab; home nutrition support program; rheumatology; chronic pain; nephrology; neurology; hematology; Kidclot; respirology; and an oncology survivors clinic. A Clinical Investigations Unit, which will provide clinical services and research activities across a wide range of pediatric specialty practice, will open in the near future.
The Edmonton Oilers are raising money for this clinic through their 1984 Stanley Cup reunion event tonight at Rexall Place, where players and staff from the 1984 Stanley Cup-winning team will swap stories and memories with fans.
“It was important for all of us involved that we create a charitable legacy in the community,” says Kevin Lowe, Oilers Entertainment Group Vice-Chairman and Director of the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation.
“It was important to the Oilers organization — and especially Wayne Gretzky — that we leave a legacy in honour of the ’84 team. There is no better place and no better partner than the Stollery.”
Mike House, President and CEO of the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation, says the local National Hockey League franchise has a long history of helping sick children and their families through its donations to the hospital.
“From investing in vital programs and services at the Stollery that raise the level of pediatric care, to more than three decades of players visiting sick kids to raise their spirits, the Edmonton Oilers have helped to build the Stollery into the world-class facility that it is today,” says House.
“The opening of the Edmonton Oilers Ambulatory Clinic means more kids and families will have access to some of the best outpatient care specialists and services in Canada, and we’re very excited to create a lasting legacy of our proud partnership with the hockey club.”
The Edmonton Oilers Ambulatory Clinic was previously occupied by adult medical clinics that have moved to the Kaye Edmonton Clinic.
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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