A second operating room was opened at the Rocky Mountain House Health Centre.
The additional operating room was made possible by the commitment and donations of the residents.
Jessica Moncrieff, site manager, said a second operating room would benefit patients in the Rocky Mountain House and Clearwater County areas.
“Having two operating theatres is a huge benefit to the site and to our area. Many patients can be treated closer to home without having to travel or be away from their families. Waiting times for operations will be reduced,” Moncrieff said. “If an emergency caesarean section is required, we have the space to perform it while other procedures are taking place.”
The new premises also made it possible to expand the range of services to include knee replacement operations.
Dr. Bryce Henderson of Red Deer is one of the surgeons traveling to Rocky Mountain House to perform the surgery.
Henderson explained that in smaller communities, there are no disruptions to elective procedures that surgeons often face in larger centers, as emergencies and trauma cases can impact operating room availability.
“This has been a long time coming and is a necessary use of resources to reduce waiting lists,” Henderson said.
He added that a successful program will also help attract and retain healthcare professionals in the community.
“There are people who want to be surgical nurses but don’t want to go to Red Deer or somewhere bigger,” Henderson said. “They’ll contact Rocky and with a good environment and good people, the program grows on its own.”
A $10 million investment for the operating room was first announced by the provincial government in 2021.
The funds were originally intended for a minor surgical room, but were upgraded to an operating room following lobbying and fundraising efforts by the Rocky Health Foundation.
The foundation launched a fundraising campaign and pledged to raise up to $750,000 to purchase surgical equipment.
Shirley Hope, chair of the foundation and former site manager, said the support from donors has exceeded all expectations.
“We’ve received incredible support from the community,” Hope said. “We put out the request in November to raise awareness, and within about three weeks we raised $750,000.”
The foundation continues to collect donations to meet the surgical team’s additional equipment needs.
“It’s a bit like moving into a new house. There are things you don’t know if you’ll need or things you’ve forgotten. That’s why we’ve continued to raise funds to help buy new equipment,” Hope said.
**With information provided by Alberta Health Services.
