Covenant Wellness Community in southeast Edmonton is an innovative approach to healthcare development

What started as a need to lessen pressure on services at the Grey Nuns Community Hospital has grown into a whole-community approach to supporting the health, well-being and quality of life of Albertans through the Covenant Wellness Community, an 11.2-acre development in southeast Edmonton.

“It’s been a journey since 2015,” says Karen Macmillan, Senior Operating Officer for Acute Care Services at the Grey Nuns. “Pre-COVID, we hosted engagement sessions with Mill Woods community leaders, schools and others, and the vision for the wellness community came from them — from a desire to meet the needs of the community — and goes beyond just emergent health concerns.”

The first of its kind in Alberta, the Covenant Wellness Community is an innovative approach to healthcare development. Once complete, it will bring together the health and wellness services Albertans need to live and age well in one location. The full “campus of care” model will transform the way health needs are met, shifting the focus from acute care and treatment in hospital to community-based care. 

“Shifting to community- and home-based care and supports is critically important as Albertans are living longer and our aging population continues to grow rapidly,” says Patrick Dumelie, Chief Executive Officer, Covenant.

“This transformation will make the health system more efficient, free up hospital resources and provide better access and quality care in the most appropriate settings.” 

Innovative approach

The wellness community model includes several key elements: a Community Health Centre (CHC), a continuing care centre and seniors’ innovation hub, community mental health and addictions services, attainable housing, and retail and commercial space. The approach has been built from the ground up, by identifying the care and supports people in the community need and putting them together to build bridges and fill in gaps. It is an approach that can be replicated and modified in a diverse range of communities — from urban to rural — across Alberta, and the wellness community in southeast Edmonton will serve as a prototype for testing further expansion.

“Designing a model that is expandable throughout Alberta is important to Covenant because it aligns with our vision to create vibrant communities of health and healing,” says Patrick.

“The expansion of the model will not only contribute to the vitality and resilience of communities and the healthcare system but also benefit Alberta’s social fabric, fostering a healthier, more connected province where everyone can thrive.”

Creative financing

Making the vision a reality has meant taking a new approach to capital planning and financing. Covenant is developing the $250-million wellness community in southeast Edmonton through a joint venture with the Rohit Group of Companies. Using this financing model eliminates the need for additional government funding for development. Covenant will be able to use revenue from medical retailers to pay the mortgage on the property. 

Rohit was drawn to the project because it will integrate healthcare delivery and breathe new life into a part of Edmonton in need of revitalization, says Russell Dauk, Executive Vice President, Income Producing Properties, Rohit. 

“The catalyst of employment (for the community), and the opportunity that could generate, was very interesting to us as developers, and the real bonus was the wholistic approach to health. Linking an innovative new model of healthcare delivery into a complete mixed-use community is an exciting concept. It is about finding a better way to deliver service and make it more convenient for people to take care of their health.”  

New collaborations

Phase 1 of the vision — the Community Health Centre (CHC) — is currently under construction. When it opens in 2025, it will be a one-stop health and wellness destination, incorporating clinics and services moved from the Grey Nuns hospital, including medical and surgical clinics, outpatient mental health, a diabetes education centre and cardiac rehabilitation. It will also house doctors’ offices, complementary medical services (diagnostic and laboratory), and health and wellness services. 

The CHC tenants will work together in creative ways to support patients, families, caregivers and the community as part of a full health ecosystem. For example, a patient who has diabetes may come to the diabetes clinic at the centre for a follow-up appointment and then be referred to related services such as a nutrition class in the demonstration kitchen or to see a foot care provider about a foot wound resulting from their condition.

To ensure the CHC includes the right mixture of tenants, Covenant has turned to Colliers, a global real estate services and investment management company.

“Our role is to stay true to community healthcare delivery,” says Fahad Shaikh, Senior Vice President, Office and Healthcare, Colliers. “We’re pushing for the tenants that will drive that vision.”

Several of the tenants whom Colliers has secured are providers who have experience in the community, says Fahad. The physiotherapy group, for example, is one of the highest-rated in southeast Edmonton. It was chosen over large institutional groups because the physiotherapist speaks several of the languages spoken in the community and has community ties.

The CHC is a very important development for the community, says Karen. It will provide services for many people who are currently coming to the emergency department at the Grey Nuns because they don't have a primary care provider in the community and include space where people can connect socially, host meetings and participate in educational activities.