Alberta expands use of private surgical centres in bid to shorten procedure wait-lists

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is expanding the province’s use of private surgical centres to perform thousands of procedures, with the goal of increasing operating-room capacity and shortening wait-lists.

Ms. Smith announced Friday her government’s plan to improve access to acute care, which will include constructing three buildings, each adjoined to hospitals in Calgary and Edmonton. Together, the buildings will hold more than 1,000 new hospital beds. They will be added to Grey Nuns and Misericordia Community hospitals in Edmonton and South Health Campus hospital in Calgary.