As the only regional referral centre for Alberta Health Services (AHS) Central Zone, Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre (RDRHC) provides specialized healthcare services to over 500,000 people from Central Alberta spanning the area between Drumheller and Two Hills and from the border of Saskatchewan to the Rocky Mountains.
Cardiac Care
The Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre is a leader in Cardiac diagnostic testing and Heart Failure management. They provide access to a wide array of Cardiac Diagnostic studies that assist with the diagnosis and treatment of numerous Cardiac disorders and diseases.
As an acute cardiology practice, physicians at RDRHC provide inpatient consultation and interpretation of echo-cardiograms and Stress Tests among other practices. An echocardiogram is a test that creates a picture of the heart’s structure and records its functionality. A stress test measures how the heart performs under physical activity. Blood tests and X-rays may also help cardiologists devise the best treatment plan.
The Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre is a leader in Cardiac diagnostic testing and Heart Failure management. They provide access to a wide array of Cardiac Diagnostic studies that assist with the diagnosis and treatment of numerous Cardiac disorders and diseases. Diagnostic tools play an enormous role in determining ways to treat conditions and diseases, which is why the Foundation works hard each year to replace and update equipment as necessary to provide the highest quality care, while continually elevating cardiac care standards here, close to home.
Top 3 most common procedures that occur in our hospital’s cardiology department are ECG’s (25,100) Holter Monitor Scans (10,287), and Cardiac Stress Test (2848). The Foundation and donors fund equipment for these procedures almost annually. Having the right tools ensures there are no services disruptions or cancelations. A delay in receiving care caused by additional transfers could potentially produce a detrimental outcome for patients in Central Alberta who suffer from heart complications.
For years, there has been a desire to offer the coronary angiography services at the Red Deer Regional Hospital. With the help of our donors and the provincial government’s significant investment in this area, we look forward to building world-class cardiac care for all Central Albertans.
Pediatrics
Our hospital sees a future where babies can lead happy, healthy lifes, while children receive first class care close to home. Seeing a child terrified or in pain is something no parent should endure. Our physicians prioritize the need to minimize pain, trauma and emotional distress.
When our children are ill, we look to our pediatrician for help. Pediatricians require different equipment because younger
patients require equipment and solutions that are not just smaller but designed specifically for their size, age, more delicate skin or particular level of comfort.
Patient and family-centered care is at the heart of our units. RDRHC is the only level two referal site in Central Zone caring for those at or greater than 32 weeks gestation. The staff provides therapeutic support to laboring moms and offers measures to improve comfort and manage pain during labour and birth.
The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) provides care for over 50 babies per month who need special attention and who continue to require specialized services. Some of the reasons include preterm birth, low birth weight, breathing difficulty, low blood sugar, infection and Jaundice. The NICU team participates in all births when it is expected that the baby may experience difficulties.
The Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre is the only Regional NICU in Alberta to have Neonatal Nurse Practitioners, advanced practice registered nurses who specialize in the care and treatment of preterm and full-term newborn infants. This program was implemented in January 2019. These team members have contributed to supporting and providing excellent consistency of care to families. The EMBRACE program, a specialized serviced used for care of mothers with substance abuse issues was also launched in 2019.
Infants and children have distinct medical needs which is why the Foundation works closely with Pediatrics to help provide the equipment necessary for our smallest patients.
Surgery
Operating rooms are specialized workspaces that require highly functional equipment of the highest quality, which surgeons and other OR personnel use to perform lifesaving procedures.
Now more than ever, advances in technology are changing the standard of care for many common procedures. Incorporating cutting-edge technology, such as powerful, fast, and more accurate equipment makes it possible to perform surgical interventions at lower risks and pain, and in a more effective manner. This is the future of healthcare.
Our surgical suites are located on the main floor of the hospital, where some of our most technical equipment lives. Unfortunately, our OR requires more significant investment and upgrades than any other area of our hospital.
With Red Deer being the only referral centre in the Central Zone, our services and technology are there to help speed identification and treatment of disease, shorten wait times and hospital stays, and reduce pain by providing faster, safer, more precise and less invasive options to more patients.
Surgical care and its outcome can largely depend on various factors. The effectiveness of the environment in an operating theatre is highly significant. The equipment in an operating theatre can strongly influence the efficiency of a procedure performed. Without these tools in place, OR professionals may struggle to deliver the care that patients need.
Having the latest technology plays an integral role with recruitment of surgical talent. Modern, up to date equipment and resources are attractive to new physicians looking to set up practice. It also provides incentive to existing healthcare professionals to stay here.
Our hospital strives to obtain the latest surgical equipment and services while creating an environment that helps attract and retain the best and brightest to practice the level of care they have been trained for, and aspire to.
New equipment combined with the latest technologies will allow for improved and added services that reduce patient wait times, build capacity, and most importantly, improve outcomes for our patients.
Emergency/ICU
With so many people depending on RDRHC for urgent care, our expert physicians, nurses and staff must have the most technologically advanced tools to continue providing excellent care to every single patient who comes through those doors each day and night.
It takes an astonishing amount of critical medical equipment to deliver world-class Emergency and Intensive care at a regional hospital. It is essential that that equipment is up to date for seriously ill or injured patients to be treated quickly and efficiently from the moment they arrive at the Red Deer Hospital.
Trauma can happen to anyone, at anytime, anywhere.
As the only facility in Central Zone with Intensive Care and Coronary Care beds, the Red Deer Hospital will be creating a permanent space for CCU and expanding its ICU beds by 8, for a total of 20 ICU beds by August 2023. Our healthcare system needs more capacity, and this expansion is the first step in responding to the increased demand for high-quality
care for patients in the ICU and CCU. Cardiac enhancements and expansion of bed space have been a longstanding priority for our hospital.
The Foundation is aiming to support the equipment needs in these new spaces by providing CPAP/BI-PAP machines, ultrasound systems, Glidescopes and other equipment to ensure the care teams on these units have the supports they need as we move forward with these changes. These new investments will also help recruit more physicians and nurses. Our community has come to expect a high level of care, and investments in the Emergency Department and ICU are essential.
Greatest Need
With a hospital as busy as ours, equipment or system failure isn’t an option. Because medical equipment ages and breaks down and technology is constantly improving, we need to take action now to ensure our community has access to the very best healthcare.
By investing in RDRHC, you ensure excellence remains the standard at our hospital. Having access to new and innovative diagnostics and treatments means more patients receive care here at home, without having to travel to Edmonton or Calgary.