Chinook Regional Hospital is the district general hospital for the City of

Lethbridge Lethbridge ( ) is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. With a population of 101,482 in its 2019 municipal census, Lethbridge became the fourth Alberta city to surpass 100,000 people. The nearby Canadian Rocky Mountains contribute to t ...

and

Southern Alberta Southern Alberta is a region located in the Canadian province of Alberta. In 2004, the region's population was approximately 272,017.Alberta Health Services Alberta Health Services (AHS) which is headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta is the single health authority for the Canadian province of Alberta and the "largest integrated provincial health care system" in Canada. AHS delivers medical care on be ...

. The hospital services a population of over 150,000 and is supported by the Chinook Regional Hospital Foundation.

History

The first hospital in

opened in 1891 by the family of

Alexander Galt Sir Alexander Tilloch Galt, (September 6, 1817 – September 19, 1893) was a politician and a father of the Canadian Confederation. Early life Galt was born in Chelsea, England on September 6, 1817. He was the son of John Galt, a Scottish ...

, a local entrepreneur. The original building now houses the Galt Museum. The

Sisters of St. Martha The Sisters of St. Martha were founded as a religious congregation in 1900 at Antigonish, Nova Scotia. The Sisters of St. Martha are members of the Sisters of Charity Federation. History The Sisters of St. Martha were formally established as a re ...

opened the St. Michael's Hospital at 13th Street South and 9th Avenue South in 1929. In 1955, the City of Lethbridge built a municipal hospital nearby where the CRH is located today. Up until 1960, both hospitals received several expansions. The Alberta Department of Health later evaluated them and discovered both needed substantial structural upgrades. The decision was made to rebuild the municipal hospital and redesign St. Michael's as a long-term facility. Despite proposals of several locations for the new hospital, ultimately the hospital was built on the same lot as the municipal hospital allowing the latter to still operate during construction. The Lethbridge Regional Hospital opened June 24, 1988 at the cost of $118 million. The hospital was renamed the Chinook Regional Hospital in 2006. In 2016, a $127 million project saw the Hospital complete an additional five-storey hospital wing to service the growing Lethbridge community.

Services

The Chinook Regional Hospital is a busy health facility, the emergency department alone sees more than 48,700 patient visits annually while ambulatory services has more than 52,500 visits annually. Some of the health services provided include the following: * Emergency * Intensive care * Geriatrics * Internists * Medical subspecialties, including: Cardiology, Dermatology, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Hematology, Immunology, Nephrology, Neurology, Rheumatology & Respirology * Ambulatory services * Palliative care * Mental health * Pediatrics * Neonatal Intensive Care Unit * Anesthesiology * Obstetrics & Gynecology * General Surgery * Surgical specialties, including: Orthopedics, Urology, Plastic Surgery, Vascular, Ophthalmology & ENT * Oncology & Radiation Therapy via the Jack Ady Cancer Centre * Level III

trauma centre A trauma center (or trauma centre) is a hospital equipped and staffed to provide care for patients suffering from major traumatic injuries such as falls, motor vehicle collisions, or gunshot wounds. A trauma center may also refer to an emerge ...

* Nuclear Medicine * Diagnostic & Interventional Radiology * Laboratory & Pathology testing * Specialised clinics, including: Cardiac Rehabilitation, Asthma Clinics, COPD Program, Heart Function Clinic, Diabetic Education * Specialised allied health services, including: Therapeutic exercise & Physiotherapy, Nutrition & Dietectics It is a 270+ bed hospital administered by Alberta Health Services. The facility has over 250 acute care beds, 10 ICU beds, 45 acute geriatrics beds and more than 15 NICU bassinets.

Heliport

The hospital is equipped with a helipad for transporting patients to

Calgary Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, maki ...

. Its elevation is and its main user is the Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society (STARS)

air ambulance Air medical services is a comprehensive term covering the use of air transportation, aeroplane or helicopter, to move patients to and from healthcare facilities and accident scenes. Personnel provide comprehensive prehospital and emergency and cri ...

service.

Affiliations

The Chinook Regional Hospital is a teaching hospital and has affiliations with the

Cumming School of Medicine The University of Calgary Faculty of Medicine was established in 1967 and renamed the Cumming School of Medicine in 2014. It is one of two medical schools in Alberta and one of 17 in Canada. The Faculty and medical school is linked to the hospit ...

at the

University of Calgary The University of Calgary (U of C or UCalgary) is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The University of Calgary started in 1944 as the Calgary branch of the University of Alberta, founded in 1908, prior to being ins ...

, the

University of Lethbridge , mottoeng = '' Let there be light'' , type = Public , established = , academic_affiliations = Universities Canada , endowment = $73 million (2019) , chancellor = Charles Weas ...

, the

Lethbridge College Lethbridge College (previously Lethbridge Community College) opened in 1957 as the first publicly funded community college in Canada. Over 4,000 students attend the Lethbridge, Alberta, institution. Lethbridge College is a member of the Albert ...

, the

Southern Alberta Institute of Technology The Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) is a polytechnic institute in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. SAIT offers more than 110 career programs in technology, trades and business. Established in 1916, it is Calgary's second oldest post-se ...

and the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience. LPN, PCA, Unit Clerks, Radiology Technicians, Sonographers and Bachelor of Nursing students regularly rotate through the Chinook Health Region.

The Guest House

The Guest House at Alberta Rose Lodge provides affordable, convenient and short-term accommodations for adult patients seeking outpatient treatment at the Chinook Regional Hospital and Jack Ady Cancer Centre. It is also available to individuals from outside Lethbridge with family receiving inpatient care.

Philanthropy

Philanthropic funding is directed by the Chinook Regional Hospital Foundation. Funds are used to fund state-of-the-art healthcare equipment, vital programs, patient care and special projects. Esteemed annual events include the Val Matteotti Italian Open, the Christmas Tree Festival Gala & Auction, Lights of Hope and Care from the Heart Radioathon.

Notes

{{authority control Hospitals in Alberta Hospital buildings completed in 1955 Buildings and structures in Lethbridge Hospitals established in 1891 Heliports in Canada Certified airports in Alberta 1955 establishments in Alberta