Photo credit: EverythingGP staff.

By Curtis Galbraith

Healthcare

Preliminary work to expand kidney care in Grande Prairie underway

Mar 4, 2024 | 6:00 AM

Over two years of work by the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital Foundation and Alberta Kidney Care on expanded outpatient dialysis treatment in Grande Prairie is starting to see results.

Foundation Executive Director Keith Curtis says there is currently a small space where dialysis is done.

“We’ve got enough donor dollars available and designated for it that they’ve actually begun the process of turning the old cancer unit (at the QE II) into a new kidney care centre.”

“They’re doing the drawings and all that, and so basically, there’s going to be more space operating more often.”

Curtis says the new set-up will see dialysis chairs used more times in a day.

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“We go from four to eight chairs and some of those chairs will flip twice but most of them will flip three times in a day and (also) expanding the number of days that they’re actually doing dialysis.”

“None of that has been released by (Alberta) Kidney Care yet, so there’s is not like a schedule, but that’s their intention is to be able to triple the number of dialysis patients being cared for.”

Curtis says other services related to dialysis like nutrition and exercise will also be included. Pre-screening could also be done.

He adds it will be another year or so before it is finished.

“We were told originally it would be 18 to 30 months before it was open and that was back in May, so probably another year and a bit.”

Curtis says there is still more money left to raise. The foundation is working with another donor on supporting this project.

He adds the Sargent Family Foundation is the major supporter and the centre will be called the Sargent Family Kidney Care Centre.