The provincial government has completed a major expansion at one Calgary hospital and announced funding to plan another as the city's population continues to climb.

Alberta is putting $2 million toward planning an expanded inpatient tower at the Alberta Children's Hospital, with the Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation contributing another $2 million to plan a new research and innovation centre. The tower expansion would add 40 acute care beds and 10 mental health beds—boosting the hospital's capacity by 32 per cent. The hospital currently has 141 acute care beds and 12 mental health beds, and sees more than 100,000 children each year.

At the Peter Lougheed Centre, a $151 million expansion wrapped up in December. The finished construction creates space for 97 more patient beds, including 28 additional spots in the emergency department. Workers are now filling those spaces with furniture and equipment, and Alberta Health Services will start opening them to patients over the next few months. The centre handles over 150,000 patients annually and serves as southern Alberta's main hub for respiratory care, vascular surgery, and mental health services.

With Calgary's population expected to grow by more than 500,000 people by 2038, the province says these projects will help ease emergency department crowding and give healthcare workers more room to do their jobs.