Alberta Health Services is opening 121 new transition beds for patients who are waiting to be transferred to a continuing care facility.

The new beds will make room on inpatient units for patients who are waiting for admission in emergency departments and ease up the pressure across the system.

The new beds are for patients who no longer need acute care and are part of Alberta Health Services' plan to open 360 new beds in Calgary and Edmonton before March 31, 2011.

The new beds include the transition unit beds as well as hospice beds, medical assessment units, detoxification and mental health beds.

239 of the 360 new beds have been opened in Calgary and Edmonton since April 2010.

The remaining 121 beds include:

  • 2 Medical Observation Unit beds at Royal Alexandra Hospital, Edmonton
  • 2 Transition beds at University of Alberta Hospital, Edmonton
  • 12 Detoxification beds in Edmonton - Addiction & Recovery Center
  • 25 Transition beds at Royal Alexandra Hospital, Edmonton
  • 30 Transition Mental Health at Villa Caritas, Edmonton
  • 18 Transition beds at Foothills Medical Centre, Calgary
  • 32 Transition beds at Peter Lougheed Centre, Calgary

In addition to these 360 beds, 502 new continuing care beds have also been opened in Edmonton and Calgary since April 2010.

Alberta Health Services plans to add 5600 continuing care spaces across the province by 2015 as part of their 5 year action plan.