While ED upgrades should help, overall age of hospital looms in St. Paul

Mayor Maureen Miller hopes that the upgrades aimed to help patient flow in the congested emergency area at the front of the St. Paul Healthcare Centre will help wait times, while also discouraging people from travelling out of town to receive care.

Last week, the ribbon cutting at St. Therese – St. Paul Healthcare Centre put a bow on the $3.2 million in upgrades, which allows for more rooms, but also helps put some more separation between emergency visits and those specifically there for mental health reasons.

A long journey to get there, said Miller, about the upgrades. But now that’s it done, she hopes the proof is in the pudding.

“It’s really in response to communities concerns of the flow of patients through the emergency room, adding additional areas of treatment,” Miller told Lakeland Connect.

“This is the time to turn it around. Some say don’t go to St Paul, because the wait times and all that. That has actually shifted throughout this renovation, and that was the intention. So if that was an experience, I suggest you come back in, because now it’s an entirely new emergency department.” 

During the round of speeches from dignitaries and staff at the hospital, a key fact emerged — St. Therese – St. Paul Healthcare Centre is currently the second oldest hospital in the province.

Soon, it will be the oldest, because Beaverlodge is getting a new facility built.

With different rounds of additions to the building, the latest being in the 1980s, the question will soon linger around the rest of the facility.

“Even though the emergency department has now been addressed, it’s actually the entire hospital that is aged out. Our acute care spaces are challenged, not only for the patient, but for the staff to do their work to the best of their capability.

“We’ve had multiple our needs assessment is done of the hospital. We’ve had multiple levels of government here to review that next step. So I did take that opportunity while I was acknowledging that.

“For now? This is good. This is not the cake, though. We’ve just been given a part of the icing.”