1.9 million dollars fundraised by the Red Deer Regional Health Foundation and through your support of their annual Festival of Trees events in 2015 and 2016 is now being put to work.

Construction crews moved into the Red Deer Regional Hospital this week to start an expansion of the Medical Specialty.

That project will result in double the number of exam rooms and other improvements like extending the size of the waiting room and reception area, and improving access for people with mobility challenges.

Medical Specialty Clinic Manager Lorelei Domaschuk says the extra space will also allow them to add a Parkinson's Clinic.

“They will also have access to the multidisciplinary team as do all of the other clinics so specialist physicians, registered nurses, occupational therapists, dieticians, social worker, pharmacy.  All of the clinics operate like that as well, so looking forward to bringing on that new clinic in the fall as well”.

Domaschuk says currently Parkinson's sufferers in central Alberta are travelling to Edmonton and Calgary to receive the specialized care and services they need.

The Medical Specialty Clinic at the Red Deer Hospital currently serves a variety of people who suffer from chronic diseases, offering tests and care in 7 specialty areas including MS, stroke prevention, heart function, anticoagulation, hepatitis and inflammatory bowel disease.

The need for the expansion was identified about 3 years ago according to Domaschuk.

“The numbers of people who were accessing the clinic had grown and we were busting at the seams”.

The 1.9 million dollars will cover the total cost of the project which should be complete by the fall of 2018.