Okotoks Urgent Care will be getting a facelift within the next two years, thanks to a local organization.
The Sheep River Health Trust raising funds for what it considers a necessary and long overdue revamping of urgent care at the Okotoks Health and Wellness Centre.
“The building is over 12 years old and there’s not a lot of privacy for patients,” said health trust executive director Andrea Mitchell.
Plans are underway to change how the waiting room, triage and reception at urgent care look and operate, she said.
Currently, the triage desk and registration desk are side-by-side, and patients can overhear conversations from either chair, she said.
The doors to urgent care are going to be moved, and the waiting room will be transformed into a triage area, she said. The main waiting room, at the entrance to the Health and Wellness Centre, will become the urgent care waiting room, she said.
“Registration will be moved out, so there won’t be a possibility to overhear private information between two patients,” said Mitchell. “We’re changing how the waiting room is used and how reception and triage with the nurses are, so a better flow for patients, for safety and for privacy for everybody.”
The total cost of the project is $70,000, and will be paid for by funds raised by the Sheep River Health Trust.
The health trust is one of eight charities in the Western Wheel Cares campaign this year.
All funds received from this year’s campaign will go toward the renovation, said Mitchell.
“We’re really excited for it,” she said. “We just agreed to the project so we’re starting with a new capital project and this is sort of our kick-off for it.”
She said the renovation is long overdue. Initially, the vision Alberta Health Services had for urgent care was different and on a lower scale than how it operates now, she said.
Doctors are seeing an average of 70 patients per day, which makes for a lot of people going through a very small area with limited privacy, she said.
“By providing a little more privacy, we can protect patients and possibly reduce any stress that may come with that,” said Mitchell.
The urgent care renovation is just one of many ways the Sheep River Health Trust provides for the Foothills community.
The health trust has committed to helping the High River District Health Care Foundation with its “Delivering a Better Experience” campaign, which will see a major overhaul and upgrade of the maternity ward at High River Hospital, she said.
The health trust’s Avenue of Trees event, which ran from Nov. 15 through Dec. 9, raised funds for Delivering a Better Experience. The total from live and silent auction of trees decorated by the community was $XXXX.
“We know that lots of our families go down to High River to expand their family, so we want to make sure that facility is adequate for everybody who needs it,” said Mitchell.
In addition, the health trust offered photos with Santa over the same time period, and the $XXXX made from the event will go toward the Okotoks Urgent Care renovations.
The Sheep River Health Trust also supports school meal programs in 12 schools throughout Okotoks and the Foothills, purchases equipment for Oilfields Hospital in Black Diamond and the Okotoks Health and Wellness Centre, and provides funding to other non-profit groups like Literacy for Life, Kidsport and Rowan House, said Mitchell.
“It’s basically anything health and wellness related, we try to get involved and support as much as possible,” said Mitchell.
To participate in Wheel Cares, please call the Western Wheel office Monday to Friday from 9-5 p.m. (403-938-6397) to make a donation using your credit card. We also accept debit, cash and cheques (payable to 'Western Wheel Cares'), either dropped off at the office, #9 McRae Street or mailed to Box 150, Okotoks, AB T1S 2A2 (please do not mail cash). Or visit www.westernwheel.com to donate using Paypal.
All donations of $10 or more will receive a 2017 official tax receipt at the end of the campaign.
