St. Mary’s Hospital receives major healthcare infrastructure investment from Government of Alberta

From left to right: Brenda Poole, Senior Office, Rural Acute & Primary Care at Covenant, Dr. Louis Minders, Facility Medical Director, Stacey Brewster, Site Director, Jackie Lovely, MLA for Camrose, Premier Danielle Smith and Minister Dan Williams.

Camrose — St. Mary’s Hospital in Camrose received nearly $14 million from the Government of Alberta for upgrades to healthcare infrastructure.

The investment includes $5 million to renovate and upgrade one operating room and $7 million to upgrade heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems for three operating rooms at St. Mary’s Hospital.  

“City of Camrose serves a catchment area of over 150,000 people,” said Stacey Brewster, site administrator in Camrose. “Our site specializes in orthopaedic, gynecology and obstetrics, general, dental, podiatry and plastic surgeries, all of which have wait lists across the province. With this renovation, the three established operating rooms could do upwards of 1,200 to 1,400 more procedures a year. 

“This keeps care closer to home, improving patient and family experience and ensuring we can offer high-quality care for our community for many years to come.” 

The remaining $1.9 million goes to support pharmacy compound infrastructure in compliance with the National Association for Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities’ standards.  

“This nearly $14-million investment strengthens the operating room, pharmacy, and ventilation systems that support care at St. Mary’s Hospital every day,” said Jackie Lovely, MLA for Camrose. “This is a project that I have been advocating for, and I am truly pleased to see it come to fruition. For Camrose area families, it means more confidence that their hospital is being upgraded where it matters most. I am proud to see our government investing in the foundation of better care for our community.”  

Jackie Lovely, MLA for Camrose, Premier Danielle Smith and Minister Dan Williams tour St. Mary’s Hospital with Covenant Health staff

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith presented a cheque to hospital administration on Thursday, July 30, followed by a tour of the site, including the operating room which will be upgraded with the investment.  

The project has been in development for two years. The province’s investment allows the work to proceed at the same time rather than in phases, reducing service disruptions at St. Mary’s Hospital.

Work is expected to start within a year.