Calgary 
Airdrie is set to get a new health centre designed to handle tens of thousands of urgent care visits, about 1,000 births and roughly 10,000 surgical procedures each year.
Alberta announced Monday that it is partnering with Covenant Health on the new Airdrie Covenant Health Centre, which is expected to open in 2031. The project will bring two connected facilities together at one location.
One will be an Urgent Care and Birthing Centre, offering treatment for non-life-threatening urgent health concerns along with maternal and birthing services.
Once operating, the centre is expected to handle more than 30,000 urgent care visits annually, with the potential to expand to 60,000 visits, as well as approximately 1,000 deliveries a year.
The adjoining Primary, Surgical and Ambulatory Care Centre is expected to add capacity for about 10,000 surgical procedures annually. The government says those procedures will include hernia repairs, gastroenterology services and gynecological procedures.
The project comes as Airdrie continues to grow. According to the province, the city’s population has increased from about 30,000 to more than 90,000 over the past two decades.
“As Airdrie and surrounding communities grow, people need access to more health services closer to home,” Hospital and Surgical Health Services Minister Adriana LaGrange said in the announcement.
The province will support construction and land acquisition for the Urgent Care and Birthing Centre. Covenant Health will develop the attached Primary and Ambulatory Care Centre and work with provincial ministries on planning services for Airdrie, northern Calgary and nearby communities.
The health centre will also become the first phase of a larger Covenant Wellness Community, which is planned to bring multiple health and wellness services together at one site.
The province says urgent care centres can divert between 35 and 70 per cent of emergency department visits away from hospitals.
Alberta says its investment and the estimated project price will be released after land acquisition and competitive bidding are complete.
