The Dr. F.H. Wigmore Regional Hospital is officially open

It was a long time coming, but Moose Jaw and residents of the Five Hills Health Region (FHHR) finally have a new hospital. The grand opening of the Dr. F.H. Wigmore Regional Hospital was held on Friday, November 6. Members of the public filled the hospital’s lobby to take in the ceremony. It was time to celebrate. The Union Hospital was built in 1948 with major new additions constructed in 1954 and 1973. A new hospital was long overdue. Mayor Deb Higgins was happy to see the facility officially open its doors. “When the announcement was made it seemed like it was so far away. Now, all of a sudden, the day is here and the facility is up and running. It is a very good day for the community and the Five Hills Health Region,” said Higgins. “This hospital is light years beyond what we were used to at the old Union Hospital. I think this will be a huge improvement for the community and for healthcare. It is something that will benefit the community for years to come.” Health Minister Dustin Duncan lauded the design of the hospital and stressed the importance of having patients and their families, as well as healthcare providers, participate in the design process. “LEAN has been an important tool, and not just in the design of facilities, but also in the re-design of how our health providers interact with our patients. I think this hospital is going to be a great model of that. A lot of the features in this hospital will be the first of their kind in this province. It will be a showcase hospital,” said Duncan. “We have had other health regions come to Moose Jaw to look at the process that Five Hills went through. This will absolutely be a model for future healthcare facilities in this province.” The $99.5 million facility will feature state-of-the-art equipment, including a new Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) unit. The provincial government contributed nearly $80 million to the cost of the project. Of course, the Moose Jaw Health Foundation’s (MJHF) Capital Equipment Campaign was another large source of funding. The campaign managed to shatter its $8 million goal, although they continue to raise more funds to accommodate the inclusion of the hyperbaric chamber. James Murdock, Chair of the MJHF, said it was exciting to finally have the new hospital operational. He praised the foundation’s supporters for their generosity. “The day has finally arrived. I think this is something that entire community and all the rural communities in the region should be very proud of,” said Murdock. “(The Capital Equipment Campaign) was a tremendous commitment and the public was on board right from day one. They continue to amaze us. As the campaign kept growing people were there, wanting to do their part. Whether it was individuals or local businesses, everyone stepped up, that’s for sure.” An official naming ceremony also took place. The hospital is named after the late Dr. Fred H. Wigmore. Fittingly, the event was held on Dr. Wigmore’s