Alberta Hospital Edmonton

Alberta Hospital Edmonton is a psychiatric hospital operating under the governance of Alberta Health Services. It is located in the northeastern portion of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and was founded on 1 July 1923.

Alberta Hospital Edmonton
Alberta Health Services
Alberta Hospital Edmonton's main entrance off of Fort Road
Geography
Location17480 Fort Road, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Coordinates53.6363°N 113.3733°W / 53.6363; -113.3733
Organization
Care systemMedicare
TypePsychiatric
Services
Emergency departmentNo
Beds410
History
Opened1923
Links
WebsiteAlberta Hospital Edmonton
ListsHospitals in Canada

Admission and continuing treatment at Alberta Hospital Edmonton can be voluntary, formal under the Mental Health Act, or in the Forensic Psychiatry Program under the Criminal Code. Referral agents include physicians, mental health professionals, other health care facilities, community agencies, courts, corrections, police, and family, in addition to self-referral.

Each Alberta Hospital Edmonton program has an inpatient and a community component. Interdisciplinary teams are made up of program managers, psychiatrists, psychologists, psychometrists, nurses, psychiatric aides, social workers, occupational therapists, recreation therapists, physiotherapists, therapy assistants, counselors, pharmacists, dietitians, chaplains and support staff.

History

Grand Opening
  • Opened Sunday, July 1, 1923, as the "Provincial Mental Institute, Oliver". For many years, it was a World War I veterans hospital. The first 47 patients arrived in the summer of 1923 from the "Hospital for Returned Soldiers" (later known as Michener Centre) in Red Deer. All 47 patients were veterans of World War I who were mostly suffering from "shell shock," now known as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The first physician caring for these veterans was Captain Dr. David L. Dick. He served with the Royal Army Medical Corps 142nd Field Ambulance in 1915-16 on the Western Front. In 1917, he was transferred to the Canadian Expeditionary Force and became Resident Medical Officer for the Strathcona Military Hospital, Edmonton. The Grand Opening was a significant event as these were veterans and the official hostess of the occasion was Bridget Velma Henderson, niece of Premier Herbert Greenfield, who later married WW I flying ace Stanley A. Puffer of the Royal Flying Corps. At the Grand Opening, luminaries in attendance included:[1]

Recent History

In August 2009 Alberta Health Services announced that it will be closing 106 of the 410 beds at the hospital.[2] The AUPE has been strongly opposed to the closures and have staged many protests and have made several television commercials at an attempt to gain support.[3]

Buildings

There are 45 buildings at AHE spread over 275 acres (1.11 km2).[1] The buildings on the site were named numerically in the order in which they were built originally but now the order has no relevance.

1 Building

Building 1
  • Originally the first dormitory
  • contained the apparel shop and Highwood School until closed in 2006

2 Building

  • Remains standing, but unused. It used to be a supplementary dormitory where numerous patients were also treated.

Old 3 Building

  • Contained 2 units 3B and 3C
  • Demolished and replaced with current 3 building

3 Building

  • Helen Hunley Forensic Pavilion
  • contains X-ray and CT scanning equipment
  • Dorran Auditorium
  • Pool and gymnasium

4 Building

  • Original building demolished, new building used as new food services which replaces old 17 building
  • formerly held patients; following closure for patient care, became a dormitory for staff

5 Building

  • Rose Sinclair Pavilion
  • Not in use but still standing. Used to be the old Forensic Pavilion until Forensic Psychiatric Services moved to the now 3 Building.

6 Building

  • Laundry

7 Building

  • Woodwork shop
  • Unused as building is condemned

8 Building

  • Rachel H. Young Pavilion
  • Contains Rehabilitation units; including the Specialized Treatment, Assessment and Rehabilitation Services (S.T.A.R.S.)
  • Contains Budz Bistro (coffee shop run by patients as part of a patient program, but is now not in operation)

9 Building

Building 9
  • Contains library, pharmacy, pastoral/spiritual care, AV and computer lab
  • Contains Central Services, Highwood School and Apparel Shop
  • Contains Provincial Protective Services Communications Center
  • Contains the Parking Call Centre for Alberta Health Services.

10 Building

  • AD MacPherson Pavilion
  • Houses Admitting and is part of the Adult Psychiatric Program.

11 Building

  • Cottonwood
  • Remains standing but unused

12 Building

  • AR Schrag
  • ECT therapy
  • Geriatric units used to reside here however have been moved to Villa Caritas.
  • Now has a young adults unit (12A) and the adult day program on the main floor of the building
  • During the Covid pandemic (2020-2021), adult acute psychiatry programs from the Royal Alexandria and University of Alberta Hospitals were redeployed to the upstairs floor of 12 building (units 12B and 12C) to accommodate Covid units at their respective hospitals. At present, the University of Alberta adult acute psychiatry program resides in 12B&C

14 Building

  • Storage, but is now demolished in preparation for a new Food Services building.

15 Building

Administration building
  • Administration and HR

16 Building

  • Used to function as a Fire Hall when AHE had its own fire department, but has been since converted into a car wash, framing shop and bottle depot. 16 Building is run by staff but staffed by patients, who are taking part in patient programs.

17 Building

  • Food and Nutrition Services, decommissioned for patient foods and replaced with new building 4 but maintained the cafeteria area.
  • Sunshine Cafe

18 Building

  • Power plant

19 Building

  • Facilities management offices

20 Building

  • Greenhouse and RSVP gift shop
  • Originally patients were paid a small stipend for working in the greenhouse. However, this is no longer funded. In March 2016 a fire broke out and the building has sustained severe damage and is to be demolished. Temp greenhouse has been erected.

21 Building

  • Stores/Receiving
  • Patient Transportation
  • Regional Surplus

Cameron Hall

  • Demolished

Water Tower

  • Due to its height, this structure is visible throughout the Alberta Hospital site and to the outlining area.

Programs
  • Adult psychiatry (Ages 18–65)
    • CLiP (The Community Living Program) provides support to psychiatric patients within the community upon discharge from the hospital
  • The Northern Alberta Forensic Psychiatry Program
  • Young Adults Acute Unit

Notable patients

References
  1. Abercrombie, Sheila. Alberta Hospital Edmonton, 1923 to 1983: An Outline of History to Commemorate the 60th Anniversary. Edmonton, AB: Alberta Hospital Edmonton, 71p., 1983
  2. Jacobs, Miindelle (21 August 2009). "Mental health care in need of miracle". Calgary Sun. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
  3. Diotte, Kerry (27 August 2009). "AUPE to take on Alberta Hospital bed closures". Edmonton Sun. Archived from the original on 30 August 2009. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
  4. Dykstra, Matt (2012-04-20). "Manslaughter verdict for killer mom". Toronto Sun. Retrieved 2016-12-16.
  • Alberta Hospital Edmonton 1923-1983, Published by AHE, Printed by ABC Press 1979 Ltd.
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