Go-forward plan at Sundre Hospital maintains LTC beds, opens restorative beds

SUNDRE — Alberta Health Services (AHS) and the Sundre Hospital Futures Committee are jointly moving forward on a plan for the hospital that will see long term care beds remain at the site.

The go-forward plan will see five long term care beds remain open at the Sundre Hospital and Care Centre. An additional four beds will be turned into restorative care beds, which are beds used for patients who require rehabilitation before being discharged to home or another care option. One bed will be turned into an acute care bed.

“We wanted a solution that the community could get behind, and I believe we have found one by listening to Sundre residents and working together,” said Health Minister, Sarah Hoffman. “This plan will address the care needs of seniors in the area, protect jobs and improve services in Sundre’s hospital.”

“We would like to thank the community for working with us to determine the next steps for the hospital,” said Dr. Verna Yiu, President and CEO, AHS. “This plan is the result of several discussions with stakeholders including physicians, community leaders and elected officials, and will help ensure quality care continues to be available in this community.”

These decisions have been made in consultation with the local medical community, MLA Jason Nixon, AHS, Alberta Health and the Hospital Futures Committee, which is a group of local residents including municipal leaders, business leaders, physicians and employees at the hospital, and community residents. The changes at the hospital are the result of the recent opening of a new continuing care centre in Sundre, built and operated by Mountain View Seniors Housing. AHS has contracted 40 supportive living beds at the new site.

Current residents in the long term care wing of the Sundre Hospital have been offered the opportunity to move into the seniors housing site. With the long term care beds now becoming vacant, that has resulted in the opportunity to redevelop this wing of the hospital.

In addition to the new bed configuration, AHS will redevelop the lab at the hospital to bring it up to accreditation standards. AHS will also install a fire suppression sprinkler system at an estimated cost of $1.4 million.

“I’m pleased for the entire community of Sundre about today’s announcement,” said local MLA Jason Nixon. “We want to make sure that community members are able to access the care they need right here in Sundre.”

“This is a good step forward for the community,” said Gerald Ingeveld, Chair, Hospital Futures Committee. “We know that our families and neighbours want to make sure they can receive the care they need in our community. We appreciate that our concerns have been heard.”

Staffing at the Sundre Hospital will remain consistent with prior levels; with some minor changes in the type of staff on site given the opening of the restorative care beds and the need for staff with rehabilitation experience. Recruitment for those positions will begin immediately. Some nursing staff, including health care aides and LPNs, have already moved to the new continuing care site.

AHS and the Hospital Futures Committee have agreed to evaluate the new bed configuration at regular intervals prior to a more formal one-year review. The review will evaluate the success of the restorative care beds, which are a relatively new way of delivering rehabilitative care, and also look at the utilization of three beds in the former long term care wing that will be used as overcapacity beds, which are spaces used to care for patients when funded hospital beds are full. This one-year review will help inform the optimal bed configuration at the hospital.

By the numbers:

• Mountain View Continuing care – 40 supportive living beds
• Long term care wing at Sundre Hospital – Five beds remain long term care, four become restorative care beds, one bed used for acute care.
• Other beds at Sundre Hospital include 14 acute care beds, including a maternity birthing room.

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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