Although you may see the walls up and ready to go on the new Grande Prairie Regional Hospital, there is plenty of work to be done inside those walls. Alberta Health Services Nursing Education Lead Diana Gitzel says the interior and exterior of the building are on schedule. There are a few things like signage and landscaping that will stretch into 2018.
“Our plan is to open in the fall of 2019. The building construction will be complete earlier in the year. The work right now that is happening is primarily inside the building. It is mostly mechanical and electrical type of work.”
There is a total of 300 beds needed in the Grande Prairie area and to make that number, 172 beds will be opening at the new hospital with the QE II still having 161 beds. There is capacity for the new building to hold 232 beds but Gitzel says they will be working to get those as they receive more funding.
Programs will continue at the old hospital even when the new one opens.
“Things like ambulatory programs and clinics. We may start to move some of our programs from the community into that more comprehensive building.”
8 operating rooms will be housed in the new building with room to add two more.
The facility is set for opening in the fall of 2019.