Alberta opens hospital spaces for respiratory virus season

Alberta has permanently opened more than 221 hospital spaces provincewide and is readying 194 temporary beds that can be activated if respiratory virus season pushes demand beyond existing hospital capacity, the province said in a news release on Friday.

Of the permanent spaces already open, 102 are in Edmonton and 79 are in Calgary. The province said the 194 temporary spaces give hospitals additional flexibility without requiring them to be staffed until demand warrants it.

Over the past year, Acute Care Alberta and Assisted Living Alberta said initiatives such as the Homecare and Hospital to Home Pathway have freed the equivalent of 175 acute care beds by helping patients move out of hospital and into home-based or continuing care supports.

"We've expanded acute care capacity to the highest level in Alberta's history, and we're taking further steps to prepare our hospitals for respiratory virus season," the release said. "We can't prevent every seasonal surge, but we can make sure our hospitals have the space, resources and flexibility to respond so Albertans can get the care they need."

Acute Care Alberta has also launched a Provincial Integrated Operations Centre to co-ordinate hospital capacity and resources across the province. The centre brings together hospital teams and provincial experts to identify available spaces and move patients to care as close to home as possible.

A newly launched Triage Liaison Physician program will place physicians directly in emergency department waiting areas during busy periods. Those physicians, working alongside clinical triage teams, will be able to identify patients whose conditions may be worsening, begin testing and treatment earlier, and provide added support as seasonal demand rises.

Hospitals across Alberta are also introducing automated daily staffing reports intended to give front-line managers a faster picture of where staff are available and where additional support is needed.

The Edmonton Acute Care Capacity Task Force, co-led by Hospital and Surgical Health Services and Infrastructure, is separately working to identify further opportunities to expand patient care spaces during the 2026-27 respiratory virus season and in years ahead.

"Preparing for respiratory virus season means making sure patients have support beyond the hospital," the release said. "Assisted Living Alberta is helping more Albertans return home safely or move into continuing care, opening up hospital beds for patients who need acute care."

Free influenza immunization is available to all Albertans six months of age and older. Publicly funded COVID-19 immunizations are available to eligible Albertans. RSV immunization is available at no charge year-round for eligible seniors, older adults in continuing care and supportive living, and eligible First Nations, Métis and Inuit Albertans. As of Oct. 1, RSV immunization eligibility expanded to vulnerable adults aged 18 to 69 with certain serious medical conditions, including transplant recipients, people receiving dialysis and those requiring chronic oxygen therapy.

Publicly funded RSV protection is also available to all infants born in hospital from November through April, with families offered protection shortly after birth before leaving hospital.

Albertans can book immunizations at bookvaccine.alberta.ca, through Health Link at 811 or at a local pharmacy.