Province planning 8 new urgent care centres across Alberta

The Alberta government is investing $17 million in eight new urgent care centres across the province.

In a Friday announcement, Health Minister Adriana LaGrange says the new facilities will be designed to treat people with urgent but non-life-threatening medical issues, such as broken bones.

The province says it is investing the $17 million with the intention of increasing the amount of high-quality care centres available for Albertans due to the growing population.

“Through Budget 2025, our government is making investments to support emergency departments, and the dedicated staff who work in these facilities,” Minister of Health Adriana LaGrange said.

“More people are choosing to call Alberta home, which is why we are taking action to build capacity across the health care system,” LaGrange said. “Urgent care centres help bridge the gap between primary care and emergency departments, providing timely care for non-life-threatening conditions.”

One of the planned facilities will be located in East Calgary, with other locations in west and south Edmonton, Stony Plain/Spruce Grove, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Cold Lake and Fort McMurray.

The new locations were picked based on current and projected increases in demand for lower-acuity care at emergency departments. The province projects visits to emergency departments to increase by 27 per cent by 2038.

Non-life-threatening conditions that could be treated at urgent care centres make up more than 35 per cent of visits to the emergency department, according to the government.

Justin Wright, Cyprus-Medicine Hat’s MLA and the parliamentary secretary of rural health for southern Alberta, says the new centres will make an impact for rural residents.

“Too many Albertans, especially those living in rural communities, are travelling significant distances to receive care,” Wright said.

Of the investment, $15 million would go to supporting plans for the eight new centres to be built. An additional $2 million would be used to support planning for One Health Airdrie’s urgent care facility.

LaGrange says each centre will be publicly funded and operated by Alberta Health Services except for the one in Airdrie, which is to be run by a private contractor.

With files from The Canadian Press