Stollery Children's Hospital hopes Alberta budget will commit to new stand-alone facility
The Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation wants to see a "strong signal of support" toward building a new standalone facility in Tuesday's provincial budget.
Opened in 2001 as part of the University of Alberta Hospital, the Stollery provides pediatric care to central and northern Alberta, with the Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan and northeastern British Columbia all part of its catchment area.
With a growing population in Alberta and space already at a premium, the time is now to start building a new facility for children's care, says Katherine Sweet, the hospital foundation's strategic partnership director.
"There are two children's hospitals for kids, and there are 104 for adults in Alberta," Sweet told CTV News Edmonton.
"We think it's time that the Stollery was in a purpose-built space of its own," she added. "Right now, the space doesn't simply match the talent."
According to the hospital's foundation, more than 317,000 patients visit the Stollery annually, with 37 per cent of inpatients from outside of Edmonton. There are nearly 54,000 emergency room visits annually and the facility is a national leader in organ transplants.
The space the Stollery uses was designed in the 1970s and built a decade later, Sweet said, for an entirely different era of health care.
"The way that pediatric care is delivered today takes into account that the whole family is often around," Sweet added. "You need space for other family members, for new technologies."
In July 2021, the province announced it would split $2 million with the Stollery foundation to begin capital planning work. To date, Alberta Health Services has completed a needs assessment study confirming the demand for a new hospital.
Alberta Infrastructure is completing a business-case analysis, with work expected to be completed in June.
Sweet said the Stollery is Canada's second-largest children's hospital by bed count and there remains little room to expand. The foundation has started a letter-writing campaign and is committed to raising $250 million to construct the new hospital.
The United Conservative Party-led government will table its last budget Tuesday before Alberta's general election slated for May.
"Alberta needs a new Stollery Children's Hospital," Sweet said. "We hope there might be positive news in the budget that is coming out."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian family stuck in Lebanon anxiously awaits flight options amid Israeli strikes
A Canadian man who is trapped in Lebanon with his family says they are anxiously waiting for seats on a flight out of the country, as a barrage of Israeli airstrikes continues.
Suspect in shooting of Toronto cop was out on bail
A 21-year-old man who was charged with attempted murder in the shooting of a Toronto police officer this week was out on bail at the time of the alleged offence, court documents obtained by CTV News Toronto show.
Scientists looked at images from space to see how fast Antarctica is turning green. Here's what they found
Parts of icy Antarctica are turning green with plant life at an alarming rate as the region is gripped by extreme heat events, according to new research, sparking concerns about the changing landscape on this vast continent.
DEVELOPING 2 dead after fire rips through historic building in Old Montreal
At least two people are dead and others are injured after a fire ripped through a century-old building near Montreal's City Hall, sources told Noovo Info.
Yazidi woman captured by ISIS rescued in Gaza after more than a decade in captivity
A 21-year-old Yazidi woman has been rescued from Gaza where she had been held captive by Hamas for years after being trafficked by ISIS.
A 6-year-old girl was kidnapped in Arkansas in 1995. Almost 30 years later, a suspect was identified
Nearly 30 years after a six-year-old girl disappeared in Western Arkansas, authorities have identified a suspect in her abduction through DNA evidence.
Dolphins 'smile' at each other when they play and to avoid misunderstanding, study finds
For humans, flashing a smile is an easy way to avoid misunderstanding. And, according to a new study, bottlenose dolphins may use a similar tactic while playing with each other.
Pit bulls in B.C. pet mauling tested positive for meth, cocaine, says city
Three pit bulls involved in a deadly attack on another dog last month in Kamloops, B.C., tested positive for methamphetamine and cocaine, and the city is going to court to have them put down.
Tax rebate: Canadians with low to modest incomes to receive payment on Friday
Canadians who are eligible for a GST/HST tax credit can expect their final payment of the year on Friday.