EDMONTON- The province has announced it will spend $55 million to improve the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton.
The sixth floor of the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute will be transformed into a critical care unit for kids. 16 beds will be located in the area, with room to add nine more. In total, 48 neonatal, pediatric and pediatric cardiovascular intensive care beds are involved in the project, nine of which are new additions.
“We want to ensure the healthiest possible start for all babies born in Alberta, including the most vulnerable who require neonatal and pediatric critical care,” said Health Minister Fred Horne. “This investment will make the Stollery one of the leading children’s hospitals in North America and will deliver an even higher quality of family-centred care.”
“This expansion will allow more patients who require critical care to receive the specialized services they need in a more timely way,” added Dr. Chris Eagle, President & CEO of Alberta Health Services.
The project will replace the current 15-bed neonatal ICU and 24-bed pediatric ICU at the Stollery Children’s Hospital in the Walter C. Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre. Construction is expected to start in 2015.