A planned reno of Airdrie's urgent care center has been put on hold as the province considers a last-minute move

Planned renovations at the Airdrie Emergency Medical Center have been put on hold while the provincial government considers a new move.

The offer comes from Airdrie GP in partnership with the developer. He could see a new facility built and leased to the province, which included a family doctor's clinic.

The delay has raised concerns among local health advocates, who say it will affect patient care and some say the process lacks transparency.

The renovations were suspended by the Alberta government on January 11. It allocated $8.4 million to increase the number of beds in the emergency room, as well as to renovate some clinics located in the center. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Airdrie family physician Dr. Julian Kain, director of One Health Associate Medical, is behind the evening hour pitch for Alberta Health.

“I'm looking at how we can improve the health situation in Airdrie, and I have to say, I'm pretty, really excited,” he told CBC News.

Cain says he partnered with Qualico Communities because he envisioned one of the developer's sites for the project.

Cain runs his own practice and also works at an urgent care center.

The proposal was accepted positively

The Airdrie community has been asking the Alberta government for a new emergency center for years. The city with more than 80,000 inhabitants does not have its own hospital, so the current center is its primary health care facility.

In the last provincial budget, the government committed $3 million to planning for the North Calgary/Airdrie Regional Health Centre.

According to Cain, Airdrie's current medical facility was not purposely built for emergency care.

The city health care center was opened in 1998. It began providing emergency care in 2007 and expanded to 24-hour services in 2017.

Kaine said the center will need a lot of upgrades and redesigns — beyond the planned renos — to fully meet Airdrie's needs.

He also believes that many patients who seek emergency care may be referred to family physicians instead. But often they don't have it, he says.

In an effort to address primary and emergency care issues in Airdrie, Cain says he approached the health minister a few months ago with the idea, which he said was well received.

“I think the government loved it and wanted to take a hard look at it,” Kaine said.

After that initial meeting, Cain says he began working with a consultant and Qualico Communities to come up with a formal proposal.

While reluctant to share specifics, he says the proposal has several options.

Qualico can be seen building a facility with a family clinic. Alberta Health Services will then lease the building, an idea that is not new. The province offers several buildings, including a long-term lease at the Cochrane Community Health Center, for AHS to run its health programs.

One of the things we have to realize is that saying we're going to fix it doesn't seem to work.– Dr. Julian Cain

Cain's proposal seeks a new funding model for on-site family physicians.

Cain said he is working closely with University of Calgary residents who would like to work at the family clinic if adequately compensated.

“One of the things we have to understand is that saying we're going to fix it doesn't seem to work,” he said.

“We have to change everything: our approach, how we treat patients, how doctors and nurses are motivated, how they are paid, what services we provide and how timely we provide our services. making the patient the absolute focus of what we do.”

CBC News reached out to Qualico Communities, but they declined any comment to Alberta Health or One Health Associate Medical.

Interruption creates anxiety

Some public health officials say they are upset and disappointed by the break in renovations. And they say they worry that patient care could be affected if they have to wait for the new facility to be built.

“Our patients need something now … it can't be built until later this year,” said Michelle Bates, executive director of the Airdrie Health Foundation.

According to him, the emergency center has 14 beds and chairs, and renovations should increase its total number to more than 20 beds.

Bates says he is frustrated by the lack of information about such an important project. He said the Airdrie Health Foundation is a major stakeholder in the center, but they are not aware of what is going on.

This lack of transparency also raises some red flags for friends of Medicare.

“It raises a lot of questions about what's going on in the background. Why would the government accept a mid-project proposal from two private companies … (and) without public notice,” said Chris Gallaway, executive director of Friends. Medicare.

When CBC News asked about the pause, a spokesperson for the health minister said in a statement: “Renovations at the Airdrie Urgent Care Center will be suspended while Alberta Health evaluates the new proposal. This thorough review is to ensure Albertans get value for their money.”

The government is “committed to this state-funded capital project and to the provision of state-funded health services once the site is operational,” the statement said.

“The government is always looking for innovative ways to improve healthcare delivery.”

But the province has not released any details on the new proposal it is considering.

For now, Bates said he will continue to press for more information.

“We're writing letters and talking to our stakeholders, and I think if it's in the ministry and they're waiting for a proposal, we should be waiting,” Bates said.

Cain expects the proposal to be finalized and submitted within the next few weeks. Afterward, he says he's looking forward to interacting with the public.

“You know, the government came in and said we want to look at how we can do some things differently, and it's been a little bit random, and that's a little scary thing sometimes. But sometimes it's a good thing.” – said Kain.