“Our team has worked hard to increase surgeries and reduce wait times for surgeries in Alberta,” Chies said. “By working with vendors such as Canadian Surgery Solutions, we are able to achieve this goal. We would like to thank our partners and all the teams at his AHS for working together to make this happen.”
According to the government, about 6,000 people are waiting for orthopedic surgery in Calgary alone, with more than half waiting longer than clinically appropriate timeframes for knee and hip replacement surgery.
Across Alberta, there are approximately 21,200 people on the waiting list for orthopedic surgery.
Health Secretary Jason Copping said the new contract with CSS will see about a 21% increase in orthopedic surgeries performed in the Calgary area compared to 2021-2022.
“Albertans, many of whom are in pain, have been waiting too long for life-changing knee and hip surgeries in Calgary,” says Copping. We will accelerate adding more surgeries in both state hospitals and chartered surgical facilities, reducing wait times to those recommended by medical professionals.”
CSS recently began accepting patients for nighttime orthopedic surgery at one of its Calgary facilities. A second facility, the Rockyview Surgical Center, is currently undergoing renovations and is expected to reopen in early 2023.
The Alberta government partners with more chartered surgical facilities across the province that specialize in a variety of disciplines.
Last spring, Holy Cross Surgical Services and Vision Group Canada in Calgary and Edmonton began performing cataract surgery.
AHS also solicited suggestions from operators performing surgeries in both the Southern and Central Health Zones last fall.
READ MORE: Chartered Facilities to Reduce Wait Times for Eye Surgery in Alberta
Read more: AHS Signs New Charter Surgical Facility in South Zone
