The Alberta Government has announced funds for a new urgent care centre in Lethbridge. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

Funding announced for new urgent care centre in Lethbridge

Mar 28, 2025 | 2:57 PM

Residents of Lethbridge are being told there will be new investments in urgent healthcare.

A total of $15 million will be spent to support plans for eight new urgent care centres in Alberta, including one in Lethbridge. The others are in west Edmonton, south Edmonton, Westview, east Calgary, Medicine Hat, Cold Lake and Fort McMurray.

Those communities were selected based on current and projected increases in demand for lower-acuity care at emergency departments, the province said in a news release.

Health Minister Adriana LaGrange says the investments will help to redirect up to 200,000 lower-acuity emergency department visits annually, freeing up capacity for life-threatening cases, reducing wait times, and improving access to care.

“More people are choosing to call Alberta home, which is why we are taking action to build capacity across the health care system. Urgent care centres help bridge the gap between primary care and emergency departments, providing timely care for non-life-threatening conditions,” says LaGrange.

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Little is known about the proposed facility in Lethbridge, including where it will be located, what capacity it will have, or how much money the province plans to spend on planning, construction or operations.

Still, the province says the urgent care centres are important because visits to emergency departments are projected to increase by 27 per cent by 2038.

The provincial budget proposes a couple of other healthcare-related investments, such as $39 million over three years for the University of Lethbridge Rural Medical Teaching School, $22 million over three years for renal dialysis at Chinook Regional Hospital, and funding for a catheterization lab at the hospital.

READ MORE: Lethbridge mayor pleased with local investments in new Alberta budget

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