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By LNN Staff

Health Care

Province announces more services coming to Chinook Regional Hospital

Jul 14, 2025 | 2:27 PM

Work is underway to expand services for Albertans with chronic kidney disease at Chinook Regional Hospital, with the completion of upgrades to surgical facilities.

That according to the Alberta government which says it is committed to expanding access to renal services so that Albertans can get the care they need, when and where they need it.

The province has announced a $22 million investment over three years to modernize and expand the renal dialysis unit at the Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge. The government says this investment will improve programs for southern Albertans with chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease who depend on life-saving dialysis.

“Our ongoing work at Chinook Regional Hospital will improve renal care programs, boost access to dialysis treatment and increase capacity while expanding hours of service,” explains Martin Long, Minister of Infrastructure. “Earlier this year, we finished our Alberta Surgical Initiative project at the same hospital, which expands surgical capacity for Lethbridge and area residents while demonstrating our government’s commitment to expanding health care services for southern Albertans.”

Once complete, officials say the renal dialysis expansion will introduce a new unit designed to address over-capacity issues faced by the current unit. The government says this upgrade will feature 28 hemodialysis stations, along with two airborne isolation rooms, for a total of 30 treatment stations. The project will also include the construction of four new examination rooms, along with additional spaces for family consultations, training and other support services, note provincial officials.

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“Every Albertan deserves timely care close to home,” states Matt Jones, Minister of Primary and Preventative Health Services. “This investment will expand renal dialysis services in southern Alberta by increasing capacity, improving efficiency and enhancing the patient experience for those needing life-saving treatment.”

Government officials say renovations to the hospital’s operating facilities through the Alberta Surgical Initiative (ASI) capital program were finished earlier this year. They say this included upgrading and expanding two existing operating rooms and creating five new inpatient beds. According ot the province, the added space is projected to increase surgical procedure capacity by about 780 procedures per year.

Alberta’s government says it is also providing $5 million to advance plans for enhanced cardiac and intensive care services in southern Alberta, including a cardiac catheterization lab and 34 new beds in Lethbridge. These new beds are expected to have the ability to be ICU or lower-acuity beds, depending on hospital needs at any given time.

Alberta government key facts

• Construction of the renal dialysis project at the Chinook Regional Hospital is expected to be completed in the summer of 2026 and will support about 124 jobs in construction and the trades.
• The Alberta Surgical Initiative (ASI) Lethbridge project was completed under its projected $14.8-million budget.