A new helipad at Northern Lights Regional Health Centre is on hold while officials go over the design options available. Alberta Health Services has announced the delay and the reasons behind it. The early designs were not ideal according to hospital officials, and different choices are being considered. NLRHC site director David Matear discussed the delay and said “Essentially, there may be other options that would better suit this project. From my perspective … it’s well worth taking the time and effort — and maybe that little bit more time now — to select the best option long term. If there is reinforcement required for the roof for a heliport … then there’s construction throughout the building that is required. Once that happens, then in those areas of construction — clearly they need to be sealed off.”

One point under consideration during the delay of the helipad at the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre is the elevator placement for patients being brought into the facility. Adding the helipad provides medevac services to land a helicopter right on the roof of the facility, bypassing the current method of landing at the local airport and then transporting the patient to the facility by ambulance. Until a final design is chosen there is no estimated completion date for the new helipad, but Alberta Health services released a news release with a scheduled completion date for the project at late 2016. Matear also explained that the helipad is sorely needed, commenting “Timely emergency medical transport is essential to those living and working in a region with a population and industry that is growing so rapidly.”