Information On The New Calgary Hospital

[Nehkara]

http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/...4/4127245.html

The cost for the Calgary’s new south hospital has now exceeded $1 billion, more than double the $500 million estimate of four years ago.

And Calgary Health Region officials concede the $1.11 billion price tag for just the first phase of the South Health Campus will almost certainly rise.

The CHR’s board today approved phase one of the hospital, which is scheduled to open in early 2011 with 260 beds and grow to 432 beds in 2014.

Phase two, to be completed by 2017-18, will bump up the total number of beds to 642 but funding for that part of the project hasn’t been assessed, said region officials.

Meanwhile, the CHR is in discussion with the city over building a new north medical centre on the approaches to Airdrie, to possibly be built in 2017-2020, said President Jack Davis.

“Planning on health care really needs to be done in the 15-20 year horizon,” said Davis.

Unfortunately, it seems this hospital will be the smallest adult hospital in the city until 2017-18 as the Rockyview General Hospital has 500 beds, the Peter Lougheed Centre has 506 beds, and the Foothills Medical Centre has 777 beds.

[Salt Water Cowboy #10]

The city is in a sad state of affairs when it come to Hospitals. Just build the damn thing, it will never get any cheaper to do so. By the time its done there will be another 100,000 people in the city I'm sure. We need at least one more Hospital now.

[Fuzzy McGillicuddy]

Lack of hospitals isn't the only problem. Even if the new hospital opened today, there wouldn't be enough medical staff to adequately run the place.

Beds have been closed at existing hospitals because there aren't enough qualified staff to operate the place. The problem is more about personell than it is about physical bed space.

[Nehkara]

Originally Posted by Salt Water Cowboy #10

The city is in a sad state of affairs when it come to Hospitals. Just build the damn thing, it will never get any cheaper to do so. By the time its done there will be another 100,000 people in the city I'm sure. We need at least one more Hospital now.

I work in the CHR and I completely agree. All winter we were getting status burgundy called around once an hour which means there are no beds left.

[Nehkara]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy McGillicuddy

Hospitals aren't the problem. Even if the new hospital opened today, there wouldn't be enough medical staff to adequately run the place.

Beds have been closed at existing hospitals because there aren't enough qualified staff to operate the place. The problem is more about personell than it is about physical bed space.

This is also true. I counted recently and the region had 350 open nursing positions.

[Muta]

Hmmm. I work for the firm that's designing it, and trust me, it's going to be worth the money.

[Mccree]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy McGillicuddy

Lack of hospitals isn't the only problem. Even if the new hospital opened today, there wouldn't be enough medical staff to adequately run the place.

Beds have been closed at existing hospitals because there aren't enough qualified staff to operate the place. The problem is more about personell than it is about physical bed space.

So true the New childerns hospital has about 50-75 beds closed due to lack of staff. Drives me crazy when everyone talks about building hospitals but no one talks about the staff shortage.

[Titan]

Originally Posted by Nehkara

This is also true. I counted recently and the region had 350 open nursing positions.

I have a couple of openings for some nurses as well!!

(I can't believe Fotze did not say this!)

[RougeUnderoos]

Where exactly is 196th avenue? The furthest south avenue I can see on Google maps is in Sundance, and that's 162nd.

When they say "south hospital", they ain't kiddin'.

[4X4]

It's equivalent to seton blvd and cranston ave I'm pretty sure.

[Salt Water Cowboy #10]

I'm sure you all have a story or have heard one like this:

My buddy (originally from High River), now living in Australia comes back to Calgary on a work contract, and he brings his girlfriend. She, worked in Perth at a hospital, and was a Head Nurse on her shift. She decided to go look for a nursing job in Calgary. This was the same day that the Sun had "Nurse Shortage, Nurses Badly Needed" as the cover Story. When she applied, she was turned away, due to the fact that in Canada we don't recognise Nursing education from Australia. Now come on, why wouldn't we recognise a nurse from another commonwealth country? Is the program in Australia that different from the one in Canada?? I don't understand why they wouldn't have at least given her a job that a starting nurse would recieve. ie care giving, bed pan duty, etc.

If there is a shortage, maybe health Canada should look into who might be qualified in comparison to Canadian standards when it comes to Nurses and Doctors. Maybe this has already been looked at, but to me, it seems that common sense is lacking.

[FireFly]

Originally Posted by fotze

No, you hope some nurses have some openings for you.

Perhaps he's looking for male nurses?

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

Where exactly is 196th avenue? The furthest south avenue I can see on Google maps is in Sundance, and that's 162nd.

Seton Blvd on this map: http://www.google.ca/maps?ie=UTF8&ll...9568&z=15&om=1

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by ken0042

Seton Blvd on this map: http://www.google.ca/maps?ie=UTF8&ll...9568&z=15&om=1

Yeah thanks. Those people in De Winton are going to have a world class medical facility in about 15 years.

The funny thing is in the Sun article the guy says "with populuation growth, by 2014 we'll need two trauma units". Don't we need two trauma units right now? And I find it a little odd that both trauma units will be south of Glenmore.

[TurnedTheCorner]

Originally Posted by Salt Water Cowboy #10

I'm sure you all have a story or have heard one like this:

My buddy (originally from High River), now living in Australia comes back to Calgary on a work contract, and he brings his girlfriend. She, worked in Perth at a hospital, and was a Head Nurse on her shift. She decided to go look for a nursing job in Calgary. This was the same day that the Sun had "Nurse Shortage, Nurses Badly Needed" as the cover Story. When she applied, she was turned away, due to the fact that in Canada we don't recognise Nursing education from Australia. Now come on, why wouldn't we recognise a nurse from another commonwealth country? Is the program in Australia that different from the one in Canada?? I don't understand why they wouldn't have at least given her a job that a starting nurse would recieve. ie care giving, bed pan duty, etc.

If there is a shortage, maybe health Canada should look into who might be qualified in comparison to Canadian standards when it comes to Nurses and Doctors. Maybe this has already been looked at, but to me, it seems that common sense is lacking.

This kind of bureaucratic equivalency nonsense is such a huge contributing factor to skilled worker shortages in so many fields and professions, it's sad. I can understand the need for some standards, but if the worker was trained/educated in the developed world, there's got to be a better way of getting them to work in Canada than exists currently.

[Resolute 14]

Forget building a new hospital in Calgary on the north edges, build it in Airdrie proper. Its ridiculous that a city of 30,000 does not have a hospital.

[Nehkara]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

Yeah thanks. Those people in De Winton are going to have a world class medical facility in about 15 years.

The funny thing is in the Sun article the guy says "with populuation growth, by 2014 we'll need two trauma units". Don't we need two trauma units right now? And I find it a little odd that both trauma units will be south of Glenmore.

How do you figure?

The Trauma Centre for southern Alberta is the Foothills Hospital. Which is on 16th ave NW.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by Nehkara

How do you figure?

The Trauma Centre for southern Alberta is the Foothills Hospital. Which is on 16th ave NW.

Whoops. I must have misread or something. The Rockyview is the only hospital I've been to and it has a trauma centre. At least I think it does. I know ambulances go there so I figured it was.

edit: I think I am confusing the terms "trauma centre" and "emergency room". What is a trauma centre?

[Nehkara]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

Whoops. I must have misread or something. The Rockyview is the only hospital I've been to and it has a trauma centre. At least I think it does. I know ambulances go there so I figured it was.

edit: I think I am confusing the terms "trauma centre" and "emergency room". What is a trauma centre?

Every hospital has an Emergency Room or "ER".

A "Trauma Centre" is a hospital that is equipped to handle cases of massive trauma... such as the worst car crashes, airplane/helicopter crashes, shootings, assaults, etc.

While most hospitals can handle most trauma cases, all of the worst cases of trauma are sent to a "Trauma Centre" and that, for all of southern Alberta, is the Foothills Hospital.

[Eddie Bronze]

Originally Posted by ken0042

Seton Blvd on this map: http://www.google.ca/maps?ie=UTF8&ll...9568&z=15&om=1

Judging from the location, I'd like to suggest changing the name of the topic to:
Information On The New Okotoks Hospital.