This release was issued under a previous government.
The 14-bed Edwards Family NICU, named after donor N. Murray and Heather Edwards, will care for some of the most critically-ill newborn babies in southern Alberta.
Funding for this project totalled $10.9 million with $5 million donated from the Edwards family. The Edwards Family NICU is a partnership between the Alberta government, Alberta Health Services, the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation, and the N. Murray Edwards family.
“Moms and dads want to know that, if needed, their newborn will have access to the very best intensive care we can possibly offer. I hope today’s investment will give more parents peace of mind and more newborns a healthy start to life. On behalf of Albertans, I want to thank the Edwards family for their very generous contribution.”
“These new beds will improve care, reduce patient transfers and provide better access to specialists and increase our capacity to care for critically-ill newborns. These beds will also ensure that families are able to remain closer together during these critical times in a newborn’s life.”
“It is such a privilege to be able to help families and their newborn babies in this way. This is very personal for us, stemming from our own experience with our son who needed neonatal intensive care when he was born eight weeks early. We look forward to seeing how this new unit enhances care for these young patients, and helps create an environment that is better for staff and less stressful for families.”
“Newborns requiring surgery or complex care by many specialists can now be transferred to the Alberta Children’s Hospital NICU where they will be monitored and cared for by neonatologists, pediatric surgeons and other specialists in one location.”
Using available space at the Alberta Children’s Hospital will keep NICU patients and their families close to pediatric specialists and will reduce the need for neonatal patients with complex conditions or who require surgeries to travel between hospitals in Calgary.
There are a total of 291 NICU beds in the province.
Under the Building Alberta Plan, our government is investing in families and communities, living within our means, and opening new markets for Alberta's resources to ensure we're able to fund the services Albertans told us matter most to them. We will continue to deliver the responsible change Albertans voted for.
Editor’s Note: Media requiring B-roll footage of an active neonatal intensive care unit can contact Janet Mezzarobba, Alberta Health Services, Communications Advisor at: [email protected].