Steinbach MLA and Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen announced the grand opening of a new $20.8-million health centre in Notre-Damede-Lourdes.
The new Centre de santé Notre-Dame Health Centre is next to the existing personal care home (Foyer NotreDame) and the primary health care centre (Centre Albert-Galliot). The new “health campus” will provide clients and community members health services on one site and improve access to services in the growing community. In addition, it will make work more efficient for health care professionals and support services staff.
“I want to commend our partners for their hard work that has helped make this new centre a reality for the Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes community,” said Kelvin Goertzen, Minister of Health, Seniors and Active Living. “This modern facility will ensure quality care is available to area residents for many years to come.”
The new, 22,601-square-foot centre replaces an older structure and includes an emergency department, imaging and laboratory diagnostic services, an obstetrical/birth unit, in-patient and out-patient services and a bilingual medical education program. In addition, the new kitchen will serve both the personal care home and the health centre. Laundry will provide services to the entire campus as well as surrounding health programs and sites.
“This Centre de santé Notre-Dame Health Centre is a testimony to the collaborative efforts of a very visionary community, the regional health authority and the Manitoba government,” said Kathy McPhail, chief executive officer for Southern Health-Santé Sud. “The health campus will offer a large spectrum of bilingual health care services, improving patient care, confidentiality and comfort, providing a safe and state-of-the-art care environment. As well, we anticipate enhanced recruitment and retention efforts for health providers considering a health career in Southern Health-Santé Sud, in particular, Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes.”
Internal links inter-connect the different care environments throughout the health campus and will eliminate the need to move personal care home residents outdoors when transferring to the health centre or for diagnostic tests. As well, the links will provide ease of access to the primary care centre (Centre Albert-Galliot) which houses the medical clinic, pharmacy, library and many other health services including Public HealthHealthy Living, home care and other services including massage services, chiropractic services and dentistry.
“The Centre de santé Notre-Dame Health Centre is the only bilingual acute care facility southwest of Winnipeg and provides bilingual education for medical students and residents through the University of Manitoba and the University of Ottawa, in partnership with Ste. Anne Centre medical Seine and the Centre de santé St. Boniface,” said the region’s VP – Medical Services Dr. Denis Fortier, who also serves as one of the community’s local physicians. “This construction is very timely as the community is experiencing growth, promising much potential.”
“The community is thrilled to be celebrating the new Centre de santé Notre-Dame Health Centre grand opening,” says Yvette Gaultier, former member of the Community Development Corporation. “We are very grateful for the success of this project thanks to our partnership with Southern Health-Santé Sud.”
The new facility will replace the smaller, outdated facility originally built in 1950. Designated bilingual by the Province of Manitoba, the health campus will provide health-care services in both French and English.