Province accelerating plans for expanded cardiac services in southern Alberta

By Lethbridge Herald on April 4, 2025.

The 2025 budget has $5 million to advance plans for enhanced cardiac and intensive care services, including the cardiac catheterization lab at Chinook Regional Hospital and expanded intensive care units here and in Medicine Hat. Herald file photo

Al Beeber – LETHBRIDGE HERALD – abeeber@lethbridgeherald.com

The Alberta government says it is accelerating plans for expanded cardiac services in southern Alberta.

The 2025 budget has $5 million to advance plans for enhanced cardiac and intensive care services, including the cardiac catheterization lab at Chinook Regional Hospital and expanded intensive care units here and in Medicine Hat.

The government accelerated the timeline for the cath lab last fall by one year and the 2025 budget includes funding for detailed planning to prepare it for construction funding in a future budget.

The province anticipates that he expanded ICU and diagnostic capabilities will add 34 beds to CRH and eight to the Medicine Hat hospital. Depending on hospital needs, the beds will be able to be used as ICU or lower-acuity beds, says the province.

In a media statement, mayor Blaine Hyggen said on Thursday that “increasing the scope of cardiac services in our city has been a top advocacy priority for several years. On behalf of Lethbridge city council, I want to thank everyone involved in making this a reality.”

According to interim South Zone medical director of Alberta Health Services Dr. David Stewart, “these changes will reduce wait times, expand cardiac services for southern Albertans and keep patients close to home. ICU upgrades and enhanced cardiac care will greatly benefit the region.”

The province expects the local cath lab to serve as many as 1,700 patients per year when it becomes operational.

In February, a Bringing Hearts Home gala at the Agri-Food Hub and Trade Centre  about 550 people to support efforts to raise $30 million in a 30-month campaign to support the construction of the lab. The gala raised $644,000.

Later that month, in honour of their late mother and wife, Shilpa Stocker, her sister and father  made a $500,000 donation for the construction of the Southern Alberta Cardiac Care of Excellence at CRH.

“Every heartbeat matters in saving lives. I’m so grateful the Lethbridge cardiac catheterization lab project is being accelerated to ensure patients can get the care they need, faster and closer to home,” said Lethbridge East MLA Nathan Neudorf on Thursday.

Heart disease is the leading cause in southern Alberta with death from all cardiac issues being 26.6 per cent higher here than in the rest of the province. There is also a 15.5 per cent higher risk factor of heart attack in southern Alberta compared to the rest of the province. The death rate in southern Alberta caused by diseases of the circulatory system is 35.2 per cent.

“Southern Alberta is in desperate need of improved cardiac services. . . it’s just not acceptable that our mortality rate is 26.6 per cent higher in this region compared to the rest of the province. We literally have the worst outcomes in the province,” said city cardiologist Sayeh Zielke at February’s gala.

Zielke has spearheaded efforts to convince the Alberta government to build a cardiac care centre here.

Alberta minister of health Adriana LaGrange said in a Thursday statement that “building these cardiac and intensive care facilities will help strengthen communities in southern Alberta. On top of creating jobs during construction, this work will literally save lives and enhance the overall quality of care for patients. I look forward to these important projects moving ahead as soon as possible.”