Foothills Medical Centre (FMC) is the largest hospital in the province of

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

and is located in the city of

Calgary Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...

. It is one of Canada's most recognized medical facilities and one of the leading research and teaching hospitals. Foothills Medical Centre provides advanced healthcare services to over two million people from Calgary, and surrounding regions including

southern Alberta Southern Alberta is a region located in the Canadian province of Alberta. In 2004, the region's population was approximately 272,017.British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, and southern

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...

. Formerly operated by the

Calgary Health Region Calgary Health Region was formerly the governing body for healthcare regulation in an area of the Canadian province of Alberta. It was amalgamated with other regional health authorities in 2008 to become part of Alberta Health Services. The region a ...

, it is now under the authority of

Alberta Health Services Alberta Health Services (AHS) which is headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta is the single health authority for the Canadian province of Alberta and the "largest integrated provincial health care system" in Canada. AHS delivers medical care on beha ...

and part of the University of Calgary Medical Centre. The main building of the hospital was opened in June 1966. It was originally named ''Foothills Provincial General Hospital'' and later known simply as Foothills Hospital. With the addition of other medical facilities, it became known by its present name.

Information

Foothills Medical Centre is an accredited Level 1

trauma centre A trauma center (or trauma centre) is a hospital equipped and staffed to provide care for patients suffering from major traumatic injuries such as falls, motor vehicle collisions, or gunshot wounds. A trauma center may also refer to an emergenc ...

by the Trauma Association of Canada, one of 10 trauma centres in Alberta, and the largest regional trauma centre in Southern Alberta. In addition, Foothills Medical Centre is accredited by Accreditation Canada for stroke rehabilitation. Foothills Medical Centre works in conjunction with the nearby

University of Calgary The University of Calgary (U of C or UCalgary) is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The University of Calgary started in 1944 as the Calgary branch of the University of Alberta, founded in 1908, prior to being ins ...

for the purposes of educating students as well as providing facilities for

medical research Medical research (or biomedical research), also known as experimental medicine, encompasses a wide array of research, extending from "basic research" (also called ''bench science'' or ''bench research''), – involving fundamental scientif ...

FMC includes the University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, as well as the Special Services Building (where most other medical services are provided) and the

Tom Baker Cancer Centre Tom Baker Cancer Centre (TBCC) is a tertiary care facility for Southern Alberta, named for the founding chairman of the ''Alberta Cancer Board'', and is one of two tertiary cancer centres in the province. It is a lead Cancer Centre in southern Al ...

, which was renamed the "Cancer Centre", and is a leading centre in Alberta for cancer treatment and research. The large site also features Grace Women's Health Centre, which specializes in women's health, the Health Sciences Association of Alberta, as well as both the North Tower and South Tower, which offer many outpatient services. The head office of

Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta The 'Libin Cardiovascular Institute'' is an entity of Alberta Health Services and the University of Calgary. It connects all cardiovascular research, education and clinical care in Southern Alberta. The Institute coordinates the activities of o ...

is located on the 8th floor of the Foothills Medical Centre. The TRW Building was also added to the Health Sciences building, which was completed in late 2005. In addition, the new McCaig Tower opened in October 2010 with 93 inpatient beds, 36 bed intensive care unit (only 28 funded by the

Government of Alberta The government of Alberta (french: gouvernement de l'Alberta) is the body responsible for the administration of the Canadian province of Alberta. As a constitutional monarchy, the Crown—represented in the province by the lieutenant governor—i ...

), 21 short-stay beds (a total of 150 additional beds), as well as 8 operating rooms. In November 2011, the newly designed Intensive Care Unit (ICU) was awarded the 2012 Design Citation for being "one of the best in the world". The neighbouring

Alberta Children's Hospital Alberta Children's Hospital (ACH) is the largest public hospital for sick children in the prairie provinces, and is located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is operated by Alberta Health Services – Calgary Health Region. The new facility opened ...

and west side of the University of Calgary campus are accessible from FMC via West Campus Boulevard. Apart from these distinctions, FMC boasts the world's first and most powerful movable MRI machine, which was introduced in January 2009. It will help patients at the Foothills Medical Centre (FMC) receive the world's safest, most accurate surgery possible. In addition, the world's first

robotic surgery Robotic surgery are types of surgical procedures that are done using robotic systems. Robotically assisted surgery was developed to try to overcome the limitations of pre-existing minimally-invasive surgical procedures and to enhance the capabil ...

to remove a

brain tumour A brain tumor occurs when abnormal cells form within the brain. There are two main types of tumors: malignant tumors and benign (non-cancerous) tumors. These can be further classified as primary tumors, which start within the brain, and secondary ...

was performed on a patient at the FMC, which also created a landmark in Canadian medical history. In June 2010, the Calgary Stroke Program, an initiative of the Foothills Medical Centre, was awarded the "Stroke Services Distinction" and is recognized as one of two leading stroke centres in Canada, the other in Toronto, by Accreditation Canada.

Alberta Health Services

The Foothills Medical Centre is one of twelve hospitals in the Calgary zone, which has a population of 1,408,606 and an average life expectancy of 82.9 years.

Current description

In addition to a 24-hour emergency room and inpatient care, FMC has 57 outpatient clinics on site. This facility provides comprehensive and specialized medical and surgical services to Calgary and Southern Alberta: * 33 bed

intensive care unit 220px, Intensive care unit An intensive care unit (ICU), also known as an intensive therapy unit or intensive treatment unit (ITU) or critical care unit (CCU), is a special department of a hospital or health care facility that provides intensiv ...

and 24 bed cardiac intensive care unit * Level 1 Trauma centre for Southern Alberta * 8 bed burn unit * 28

operating theatre An operating theater (also known as an operating room (OR), operating suite, or operation suite) is a facility within a hospital where surgical operations are carried out in an aseptic environment. Historically, the term "operating theater" refe ...

s - including a specially designated trauma operating room * High risk maternity and

neonatal intensive care unit A neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), also known as an intensive care nursery (ICN), is an intensive care unit (ICU) specializing in the care of ill or premature newborn infants. Neonatal refers to the first 28 days of life. Neonatal care, as kn ...

* PARTY Program (Prevent Alcohol & Risk Related Trauma in Youth Program for Grade 9 secondary school students) * PADIS (poison & drug information) * Southern Alberta Renal Program * Intraoperative MR - magnetic resonance system (first of its kind in the world, located in the Seaman's Family MR Research Centre) * Stephenson Cardiac MR Centre - the leading

cardiac magnetic resonance Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cardiac MRI), also known as cardiovascular MRI, is a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology used for non-invasive assessment of the function and structure of the cardiovascular system. Conditions in which it ...

facility in Canada, as measured by number of peer-reviewed articles published, and part of the

* Multiple transplantation such as kidney, pancreas, corneal and tissue transplants * HOPE Program (Human Organ Procurement and Exchange) * University of Calgary Medical Clinic (UCMC) clinics * The Colon Cancer Screening Centre - providing screening colonoscopies to hundreds of patients a month

Chronology of hospital projects

1958 * Provincial and territorial hospital insurance plans. The

Prime Minister of Canada The prime minister of Canada (french: premier ministre du Canada, link=no) is the head of government of Canada. Under the Westminster system, the prime minister governs with the Confidence and supply, confidence of a majority the elected Hou ...

John Diefenbaker John George Diefenbaker ( ; September 18, 1895 – August 16, 1979) was the 13th prime minister of Canada, serving from 1957 to 1963. He was the only Progressive Conservative party leader between 1930 and 1979 to lead the party to an electio ...

, declares federal grants are available to provincial hospital-care projects, 50 cents on the dollar financing, from

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

. 1965 * Main building completed, Foothills Hospital. * First school of nursing class begins study. 1966 * February, main Hospital Phase II complete. * April, first out-patients and

glaucoma Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that result in damage to the optic nerve (or retina) and cause vision loss. The most common type is open-angle (wide angle, chronic simple) glaucoma, in which the drainage angle for fluid within the eye rem ...

laboratory A laboratory (; ; colloquially lab) is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific or technological research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. Laboratory services are provided in a variety of settings: physicia ...

. * June, Foothills Hospital opens. :During opening year, "Patient Care" booklet describes new hospital: ::"Largest completely new hospital of its kind constructed in North America; of floor space; 2,000 rooms.

Patient A patient is any recipient of health care services that are performed by healthcare professionals. The patient is most often ill or injured and in need of treatment by a physician, nurse, optometrist, dentist, veterinarian, or other health c ...

capacity: 766 beds, 116

bassinet A bassinet, bassinette, or cradle is a bed specifically for babies from birth to about four months. Bassinets are generally designed to work with fixed legs or caster wheels, while cradles are generally designed to provide a rocking or gliding ...

tes, 15 day care beds. Staff when the hospital is in full operation: 1,200-1,500. Cost: $21,000,000 for construction of hospital, School of

Nursing Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ...

and

Power Plant A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electrical grid. Many pow ...

— $5,000,000 for initial equipment. T-shaped hospital building, 12 storeys plus basement. The cross-piece of the T includes all nursing units. The back wing, or stem of the T, is 10 storeys high and includes all

clinic A clinic (or outpatient clinic or ambulatory care clinic) is a health facility that is primarily focused on the care of outpatients. Clinics can be privately operated or publicly managed and funded. They typically cover the primary care needs ...

al and other service departments. A 100 bed auxiliary hospital is planned for later construction on site; also a 370 bed

psychiatric Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders. These include various maladaptations related to mood, behaviour, cognition, and perceptions. See glossary of psychiatry. Initial psychi ...

hospital which will be operated under separate administration.

Capital financing Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used fo ...

for construction was by the usual

Federal Federal or foederal (archaic) may refer to: Politics General *Federal monarchy, a federation of monarchies *Federation, or ''Federal state'' (federal system), a type of government characterized by both a central (federal) government and states or ...

Provincial Provincial may refer to: Government & Administration * Provincial capitals, an administrative sub-national capital of a country * Provincial city (disambiguation) * Provincial minister (disambiguation) * Provincial Secretary, a position in Can ...

grants Grant or Grants may refer to: Places *Grant County (disambiguation) Australia * Grant, Queensland, a locality in the Barcaldine Region, Queensland, Australia United Kingdom *Castle Grant United States * Grant, Alabama *Grant, Inyo County, C ...

plus a $17 million

debenture In corporate finance, a debenture is a medium- to long-term debt instrument used by large companies to borrow money, at a fixed rate of interest. The legal term "debenture" originally referred to a document that either creates a debt or acknowl ...

issue to be retired by the Provincial Government over a 20-year period. Operation costs will be met by the standard per diem payments made under Alberta Hospitalization Benefits. Complete hospital control is vested in the board of Management." *

Pathology Pathology is the study of the causes and effects of disease or injury. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in ...

labs (

medical laboratory A medical laboratory or clinical laboratory is a laboratory where tests are conducted out on clinical specimens to obtain information about the health of a patient to aid in diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. Clinical Medical labor ...

) begins using advanced equipment to provide a complete pathology service. *Residence for 329 nursing students is linked as teaching hospital support of Foothills Hospital. *Planning continues for 100-bed auxiliary hospital and 370 beds for psychiatric patients. *1966 to 2007 and beyond :Hospital expands, largest hospital of the province of Alberta to be Foothills Medical Centre. 2001 *November, new 14-bed inpatient stroke unit, Unit 100. 2006 *October 19, as part of a C$1.7 billion expansion for Foothills Medical Centre the Calgary Health Region named the new tower the JR (Bud) McCaig Tower after well-known local philanthropist,

Bud McCaig John Robert "Bud" McCaig (14 June 1929 – 11 January 2005) was a Canadian businessman and a co-owner of the Calgary Flames NHL franchise. McCaig was born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan on 14 June 1929 to John Waters McCaig (1905–1981) and Stel ...

. McCaig who had died in 2005 was the founder of Alberta Bone & Joint Health Institute. 2010 *C$460M 8-storey tower, JR (Bud) McCaig Tower. :JR (Bud) McCaig Tower adds to largest hospital of province Alberta: ::8 operating rooms ::36-bed intensive care unit (only 26 beds funded) ::93 inpatient beds ::21 short-stay beds ::

Diagnostic imaging Medical imaging is the technique and process of imaging the interior of a body for clinical analysis and medical intervention, as well as visual representation of the function of some organs or tissues (physiology). Medical imaging seeks to rev ...

::Southern Alberta Tissue Program ::Calgary Laboratory Services ::space for expansion (16 operating rooms) ::Expanded and renovated emergency department (main building) ::

Musculoskeletal The human musculoskeletal system (also known as the human locomotor system, and previously the activity system) is an organ system that gives humans the ability to move using their muscular and skeletal systems. The musculoskeletal system prov ...

(MSK) Clinic :::Bone and Joint Program includes MSK Clinic, surgery, and teaching facilities ::

Surgical Surgery ''cheirourgikē'' (composed of χείρ, "hand", and ἔργον, "work"), via la, chirurgiae, meaning "hand work". is a medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a person to investigate or treat a pat ...

processing ::Admitting 2017 (2023) *C$1.4B Calgary Cancer Centre. :Construction begins to add new building to largest hospital in Alberta: ::160 inpatient beds ::12

radiation vaults In physics, radiation is the emission or transmission of energy in the form of waves or particles through space or through a material medium. This includes: * ''electromagnetic radiation'', such as radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visib ...

::100 patient exam rooms ::100

chemotherapy chairs Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemotherap ...

::1,650 underground parking spaces ::984-linear feet of elevated walkway

Parking

The Foothills Medical Centre has eleven parking lots with payment options including passes: monthly ($71), weekly ($40), daily ($14.25) or half-hour ($2 per half-hour or portion) with some discounts for seniors, etc., with authorization forms. A general monthly pass with no authorization form costs $125 if available. Some parking lots/stalls are designated for people with disabilities only.

In popular culture

The Foothills Medical Centre is alluded to in the

Tragically Hip The Tragically Hip, often referred to simply as the Hip, were a Canadian rock band formed in Kingston, Ontario in 1984, consisting of vocalist Gord Downie, guitarist Paul Langlois, guitarist Rob Baker (known as Bobby Baker until 1994), bassis ...

song "Take Forever" from the album ''

Now for Plan A ''Now For Plan A'' is the twelfth studio album by Canadian rock band, The Tragically Hip. At a length of 39:18, it is the band's shortest album. The album's first single, "At Transformation", was released on May 18, 2012. The album's second single ...

''. The song's lyrics "Calgary, to have my heart attack; Calgary, the place to do it, it's a fact" reference to the angioplasty treatment available at the hospital and a 2010 study completed by University of Calgary researchers.

References

Sources

:*The

External links

Foothills Medical Centre
{{authority control Hospital buildings completed in 1965 Buildings and structures in Calgary Hospitals in Calgary Hospitals established in 1966 Heliports in Canada Certified airports in Alberta