Hospital renovations

Adelle Ellis
Times Reporter

 

The Strathmore Hospital is in the middle of a major facelift; the provincial government has invested $2.8 million into several long overdue upgrades. Renovations are currently taking place.
Construction of the old long term care (LTC) wing is nearing completion. It is being retrofitted to fit several programs that require more space such as Home Care. Not only will the old LTC wing house Home Care, right across the hall will be services such as rehab, social work and transition services so that everything can be close together. There will also be reassigned and retrofitted rooms and drop down spaces for visiting professionals such as speech language pathologists and dieticians in the same wing, along with a new reception area and waiting room for Home Care.
“The goal is to give Home Care more space because they are very cramped where they are. And to have all the rehab services and Home Care situated geographically close together,” said Ann McNair-Gariepy, RN, Site Manager of Emergent Care and Acute Care. “(This will) enhance communications between programs and will serve the patients very well. It is for existing programs with some enhancements in their workspace and patient flow.”
The most noticeable change within the hospital is the construction for Triage, which started on Feb. 20. This renovation sees the old triage completely boarded off as you walk through the main doors; instead there is a temporary triage unit set up in the middle of the emergency waiting room. This renovation is expected to be completed at the end of May, until which time emergency patients will check in at the temporary triage before going to admitting and then waiting to be seen by a doctor.
“We made a request to the planning group that triage be addressed first because we wanted to provide better flow and security for the staff and patients,” said McNair-Gariepy adding that they are completing as much as they can as fast as they can and as fast as the site will tolerate it.
Once the triage renovations are complete, it will be a completely revamped area with a straight flow into the emergency area. There will also be a controlled entry so that patients can speak with the triage nurse, but it will be an invited entry into the space. The emergency department will also be able to be completely locked down in an emergency such as a threatening character.
Those renovations will add enough space so that three new beds will be gained and a total of nine beds will be available in the emergency unit. A new medication room which conforms with AHS standards will be added, as well as access to equipment storage, a second utility room which is important for infection prevention and control, a nurse’s station and shared space for staff. All of which will lead to a better work and patient flow of the area.
To complete those renovations with additional space, the Diagnostic Imaging and Radiology lab will be moving into the location where Home Care currently is now. Those renovations are expected to start in summer this year and will be completed this fall.
The lobby will also get refurbished starting in late spring. New flooring and ceiling will be installed, and new seating will be purchased. This refurbishing will be completed this upcoming fall.
The pharmacy is currently under construction as more space is being added and will also be completed later this spring.
“Every change that was made was made with the notion of mind of keeping cost at a minimum. This is quite a big renovation with a relatively small amount of money. It is seen hopefully as a temporary fix to our space issues,” said McNair-Gariepy.
The current lab draw area (phlebotomy) will move across the hall into their new larger location on March 13. The current phlebotomy lab will be redeveloped, starting in the middle of March and completed this summer, into the testing area for all the samples so that everything stays together in the same area.
In Fall 2017, the current lab testing area will be renovated to become a back of house emergency area with staff support, equipment rooms, and a quieter waiting space for families who need more privacy.
“I think for residents of the town and surrounding communities, we are going to be able to provide better patient flow and access to programs that are more coordinated,” said McNair-Gariepy. “Physically being adjacent to programs you need to work with is always beneficial and having the upgrades to the emergency department will allow the staff to provide a smoother care process.”
The hospital staff, which is more than 200 people, won’t be tripping over each other as they work, nor will they need to travel across half the hospital to find programs and services associated with other services on the other end of the hospital.
The upgrades on the hospital have been strongly championed for by MLA Derek Fildebrandt ever since he took office. He is glad to see that upgrades are finally being completed, though he wants to make sure that these upgrades truly serve the community the best they can.
“The upgrades should help ensure people with emergencies receive timely and quality care. As the local MLA I’m going to be keeping an eye on the facility to make sure local taxpayers are receiving good value for our tax dollars,” said Fildebrandt, adding that the public shouldn’t arrive to the hospital to find a long waiting list or that they can’t receive care in time.
“The reality is the Strathmore hospital is one of the busiest rural hospitals in the province so it’s important for the hospital to keep up with the growing needs of the community,” he said, adding that as the town continues to grow, the facility will need to keep pace with that growth and that may mean more future upgrades to accommodate growth and high demand.
The hospital is also accepting volunteer Wayfinders to greet patients at the door and to help them find their way throughout the hospital during and after renovations. At least 20 people are needed to fill specific dedicated volunteer shifts which are four hours long.
Applications can be filled out at albertahealthservices.ca under “Get Involved” at the bottom of the page. Click “Volunteer at AHS,” select Calgary Zone, select Strathmore: Apply Online. Then choose Wayfinder/Visitor Program and fill out an application. Once submitted, an interview will be scheduled. A police check will be conducted, references will be cleared, and a workplace health and safety clearance is needed.
These new and somewhat confusing changes will ensure that the Strathmore Hospital runs smoother, and is safer for both patients and staff.
“While we are under construction, it is very helpful for the public to understand that we are out of our usual environment and to please efficiently communicate their needs to the available staff,” said McNair-Gariepy.