Creating a best-in-class training centre to support healthcare workers

When the new emergency department at the Misericordia Community Hospital opens in 2023, patients will notice the expanded patient areas and treatment spaces in the department. However, nestled within it will also be a state-of-the-art space dedicated to training staff to be prepared for any situation.

It is the combination of education and health care in the department that resonated with the board of trustees at the Edmonton Civic Employees Charitable Assistance Fund (ECECAF) and why they chose to donate $500,000 to the Covenant Foundation for the project.

“We believe in good health care for all,” says Roberta Hykawy, chair of the board at ECECAF. “In order to maintain this high standard, we need to ensure our healthcare providers get the proper education they need, in a timely manner, and on an ongoing basis to keep ahead of the curve.”

When staff practice simulations in real-life settings with the same equipment they use every day, it can shave seconds off procedures in which every moment counts. The training lab, part of Alberta Health Services’ eSim Provincial Simulation Program, will provide many opportunities for clinical educators to deliver interactive educational programming for healthcare workers using specialized simulation equipment.

“With the latest simulation equipment right on site, the training centre is a key component of the new emergency department and will be a tremendous asset to medical teams throughout the hospital,” says Richard Drew, clinical educator at the Misericordia emergency department. “It’s a win-win – both for healthcare providers and for the patients they’re caring for.”

The new Misericordia emergency department is a priority campaign for Covenant Foundation. The current Misericordia emergency department sees more than 50,000 patient visits annually, twice the capacity it was designed to support. The new department is designed for 60,000 visits annually, with patients coming from across the Edmonton area and Northern Alberta at a time of urgent need.

“We’re very grateful to the Edmonton Civic Employees Charitable Assistance Fund and their more than 11,000 members for partnering with us to invest in a purpose-built education and training centre for Covenant Health’s new Misericordia emergency department,” says Tracy Sopkow, CEO of the Covenant Foundation.

“The key to the success of any care is the people who provide it. This transformational gift from ECECAF will ensure frontline staff have the opportunity to receive on-site training in the latest advances that will help save lives in our community.”

Construction of the new Misericordia emergency department is expected to finish in late 2022, and it will open to the public in 2023.

Written by: Rosemary Malowany