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Covenant Foundation kicks off fundraising campaign to enhance new Misericordia ER

Funds to improve family-centred care and spaces, specialized equipment and training

On November 30, 2022, Covenant Foundation launched a $2.6-million fundraising campaign to support the Misericordia Community Hospital’s new, state-of-the-art emergency department (ER). Funds raised by the foundation will invest in family-centred care, specialized equipment and training, and comforting environments that bring calm to patients and their loved ones in emergency.

“This campaign gives Albertans the opportunity to support tens of thousands of people from across our province who will turn to the Misericordia’s emergency department at a time of urgent need,” said Lisa Munro, president & CEO of Covenant Foundation.


“These vital funds will benefit patients, families and staff – from the parents using our new interactive play space to occupy their young children, to the nurse decompressing in our courtyard dedicated to staff. And nestled within the ER, our leading-edge training space will help frontline staff refine their skills and shave seconds off procedures that save lives.”




State-of-the-art ER will offer more comfort, privacy and enhanced care in more space

The new, modernized Misericordia Community Hospital emergency department is funded with an investment from the Government of Alberta. Scheduled to open in late summer/early fall 2023, the ER is designed to accommodate 60,000 patient visits annually, while the current space has been seeing more than 50,000 visits in a space designed for 25,000.


“Emergency departments like this one at the Misericordia Community Hospital have been literally saving lives for many Albertans, but the facilities aren’t keeping up with the demands,” said Jason Copping, Minister of Health. “That is why our government is investing in this project to renovate and expand the Misericordia’s ER. This ensures that many will get the help they need when they need it most, and help manage the added pressures in the system.”


“This emergency department was designed in consultation with patients, healthcare staff, and the local community, and will meet the needs of Albertans now and for years to come,” said Nathan Neudorf, Minister of Infrastructure. "I'm excited to support this state-of-the-art facility, and I am so grateful to the careful planning and ongoing communication of everyone involved."


The new emergency department will have more total treatment spaces, ambulance bays and radiology rooms. It will also expand purpose-built mental health spaces and offer more private isolation rooms for infection control – two initiatives supported in part by the Covenant Foundation fundraising campaign.


The campaign will also enhance the ER through interactive play spaces for children, resting areas, and comforting aesthetic touches such as colourful art in waiting areas and landscaping for courtyards.


“We’re incredibly thankful to Covenant Foundation and its donors for helping to enhance the new emergency department,” said Jo Ann Molloy, senior operating officer at the Misericordia Community Hospital. “Through their generosity, the ER will not just have the space required to serve our patients in urgent times of need, but it will also have features that promote family-centred care, create spaces that are comforting and include new technologies and equipment for patient treatment and staff training.”

$500,000 gift for training and education of healthcare teams

Thanks to a major donation from the Edmonton Civic Employees Charitable Assistance Fund, Covenant Foundation is helping to support the training and education of frontline staff at the new Misericordia Community Hospital emergency department. The Edmonton Civic Employees Fund - Education and Training Space will offer interactive training and give healthcare teams the opportunity to practice simulations with equipment they use daily.


“We truly believe in good health care for all,” said secretary-treasurer Rob Morrison, on behalf of Roberta Hykawy, chair of the board of the Edmonton Civic Employees Charitable Assistance Fund. “In order to maintain the highest standard possible, we’re proud to provide this $500,000 gift on behalf of our members to help ensure our healthcare providers get the specialized education they need, in a timely manner, and on an ongoing basis to keep ahead of the curve.”


“We’re truly grateful for this transformational gift,” said Munro. “The investment will benefit healthcare teams and the patients they serve for years to come.”

Alberta Mother turns to Misericordia for trusted emergency care over 40 years

Treena Hrytsak is excited to follow the progress of the new state-of-the-art ER. Over the last 40 years, the Spruce Grove woman has turned to the Misericordia Community Hospital for critical healthcare needs, including the birth of both her children and two breast cancer surgeries.


In December 2021, she turned to the hospital with a life-threatening condition. Shortly after returning home from shopping one evening, Hrytsak suddenly lost her vision and collapsed. When she came around, she assumed her sudden bout of light headedness was related to the asthma she had experienced all her life and decided to get some sleep. By the next evening, Hrytsak still had trouble breathing and struggled to walk without feeling faint. After three days, her daughter convinced her to go the hospital, but Hrytsak only agreed if she could receive care at the Misericordia Community Hospital.


“I knew I could just leave myself in their care and everything would be okay,” said Hrytsak.


After arriving at the Misericordia ER, Hrytsak was quickly triaged and sent for a CT scan. The emergency doctor discovered two large blood clots, known as pulmonary embolisms, in her lungs. Left untreated, the pulmonary embolisms would continue to block blood flow in her lungs, putting her life at risk. She was immediately scheduled for a clot-busting procedure in the ICU and went on to receive follow-up care from a physiotherapist and internist at the Misericordia.


“The benefit of being a survivor is you can tell the story and help others – it’s a way I can give back,” Hrytsak said. “I want donors to know I’m grateful for the donations they give because it helps take care of you and me, our awesome nurses, doctors and caregivers, and all the people around us in our community.”


Read Treena’s full story at covenantfoundation.ca/emergency-treena.

How you can help

You can donate to the Covenant Foundation Misericordia Emergency Department campaign at covenantfoundation.ca/emergency.

By the numbers

60,000 – annual patient visits the new Misericordia ER is designed to accommodate.
50,000+ – number of patient visits the Misericordia ER currently accommodates.
25,000 – annual patient visits the current Misericordia ER is built to serve.
5,500m2 – size of new Misericordia emergency department in square metres.
1,700 – size of current Misericordia emergency department in square metres.
64 – number of total treatment spaces in new ER (up from 26 spaces).
53 – age of current emergency department.
18 – number of acute care spaces outfitted with cardiac monitoring in new ER (up from 12 spaces).
8 – EMS dedicated care spaces complete with medical gases, for patients and EMS personnel to be accommodated properly while waiting to be admitted.
6 – number of ambulance bays serving new ER (up from 4 bays). The bays are also sized to accommodate the cardiac ambulance.
5 – number of isolation rooms to stop spread of germs, infection and disease (up from 1 room).
1 – decontamination suite, where patients who have been exposed to toxic or dangerous material can be decontaminated prior

In the news

New Misericordia Emergency Department opens November 2023


Please give generously today to help support family-centred care, specialized equipment and training, and comforting environments that bring calm to patients and their loved ones in emergency. Donate now at covenantfoundation.ca/emergency.