The newly-expanded pediatric emergency room at the Stollery Children's Hospital will be open to patients very soon, and the public is now getting its first look at the new area.
Alberta Premier Alison Redford was on hand Monday morning to open the city's first ER dedicated to pediatric care.
"Sick children and their families from Edmonton and northern Alberta will benefit from the Stollery's new enhanced emergency department," Redford said in a news release.
The $26.3-million renovation expanded and separated the Stollery's emergency department from the University of Alberta Hospital.
The nearly 14,000 square feet space provides a separate entrance for patients and their families, along with a separate child-friendly waiting room, triage area and registration area.
A trauma room is expected to open later this year.
The newly expanded emergency department can accommodate up to 35,000 visits per year.
The province shelled out $21.2 million for the project, while the additional $5.1 million came from the Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation.
With files from Serena Mah
