Plans to expand Alberta Children’s Hospital move ahead

Plans are advancing to increase in-patient capacity at Alberta Children’s Hospital (ACH) and to build a new paediatric Centre for Research & Innovative Care, thanks to an initial $2-million investment from the Government of Alberta announced in its February 2025 budget and an additional $2 million from the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation.

The new Centre will fully integrate research with front-line care to accelerate the development of new treatments and cures for children. It is being developed in partnership with the Province, Alberta Health Services, ACH, Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation and the University of Calgary.

“Expanding Alberta Children’s Hospital ensures Alberta children have access to the care they need, improves outcomes, and supports healthier, brighter futures for families across the province,” says Matt Jones, Minister of Hospital and Surgical Health Services.

More than four decades of community support through the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation has helped UCalgary develop a top-tier team of scientists focused on advancing child health. In the past two years alone, they have secured more than $200 million in competitive research funding to lead studies with national and international reach.

“This initiative will make Alberta a destination point for even more world-leading researchers and create a robust training and career pipeline hub for the next generation of child health scientists, specialists and innovators,” says Minister of Advanced Education Myles McDougall. “Importantly, it will also expand the life sciences and health-innovation sectors, helping to diversify our economy.”

Saifa Koonar, president and CEO of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation, says this is the "next important step in a long-term vision generously supported by our community. 

"Step 1 was building an excellent clinical enterprise at the Alberta Children’s Hospital. Step 2 was creating a child-focused research institute at the University of Calgary. Now, Step 3 will bring them physically together in this new Centre so more children’s lives can be saved and improved through innovation,” says Koonar, BComm'92, MBA'02.

UCalgary President and Vice-Chancellor Ed McCauley says the Centre, "will enable our network of child health researchers to work alongside front-line clinicians seamlessly, providing opportunities for them to learn, innovate and treat children using cutting-edge scholarship. It will also intensify collaboration with universities and industry leaders across the province, so that, together, we can truly transform children’s health.”

In addition, with an anticipated increase in pharmaceutical and hi-tech trials, the Centre is expected to help create new jobs and attract more industry investments to our province. At the same time, the Centre will turn more made-in-Alberta discoveries into treatments and cures that help families around the world.

Building on the knowledge that patients in research-intensive adult hospitals experience lower mortality rates and better health outcomes, children will now be able to benefit from the same, with the addition of expanded clinical research space, advanced technologies, and precision tools like genetic sequencing and AI-powered data analytics. The Centre will help personalize treatment plans and enable the team to move toward their ultimate goal of making precision medicine the new standard of care for children.

“Investing in modern, purpose-built health infrastructure is essential to meeting the needs of Alberta’s growing youth population,” says Martin Long, Alberta's Minister of Infrastructure. “These forward-thinking projects will add capacity and optimize space within the existing hospital, allowing Alberta’s doctors and nurses to continue to provide the best care for our children."

Alongside the Centre’s development, the Province is planning to increase inpatient capacity at ACH by 32 per cent. That will include 40 new acute care beds, as well as a redesign and expansion of the hospital’s Patient Care Unit for Mental Health, with an additional 10 beds.

“Our children are our future and their mental health is a priority for our government,” says Rick Wilson, Minister of Mental Health and Addiction. “The collaborative work and investment into the Alberta Children’s Hospital strengthens and streamlines care for young people facing mental health challenges.”

Transforming children’s health means continuing to invest in overall well-being, says Jo Ann Beckie, senior operating officer at ACH. “We are grateful for the advancements already made possible by community generosity, and we are excited for the future of children’s health and what these new investments will bring,” Beckie says.

Business-case development will determine the scope, budget, and timelines for both the new Centre for Research & Innovative Care and the hospital in-patient capacity expansion. Calgary-based DIALOG has been selected as the prime consultant for the Centre, with HDR partnering on design. With a wealth of experience in the Canadian health and education sector, DIALOG has led several major projects including the new Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre. Colliers Canada and Altus Group are leading the inpatient capacity expansion work.

For more information, see the Government of Alberta press release.