Name: Foothills Medical Centre
Address: Canada

Foothills Medical Centre (FMC) is one of Canada’s largest and most advanced academic/trauma hospitals, located in Calgary, Alberta. It operates under Alberta Health Services and serves over two million people from Calgary, southern Alberta, southeastern British Columbia, and southern Saskatchewan. Affiliated with the University of Calgary, it plays a key role in medical education, research, and complex care.

Services & Clinical Capacity

FMC offers a very wide array of specialized medical and surgical services. It has a 24/7 Emergency Department that functions as a lead trauma centre for Southern Alberta. It provides critical care units including medical/surgical, neurological, burn care, transplant programs, and cardiovascular surgery. The Cardiovascular ICU handles post-open heart surgery cases like bypass grafts and valve repair or replacement. Oncology, bone marrow transplant, neurosurgery, hepatobiliary surgery, head & neck reconstructive surgery are among the complex programs at FMC.

Infrastructure & Facilities

The campus includes the McCaig Tower, which houses about 93 inpatient beds plus a 36-bed ICU, operating rooms, large surgical processing unit, diagnostic imaging, and ambulatory surgery services. There are multiple towers and buildings: North & South towers, the Special Services Building, the Arthur J. E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Grace Women’s Health Centre, etc. These accommodate both high-acuity inpatient and outpatient specialized clinics.

Strengths & Challenges

Strengths: FMC’s scale and specialization are major assets. Complex surgery, transplants, neurosurgery and trauma care are among best in the region; strong affiliation with university and research institutes adds innovation; wide geography served makes it a regional referral centre. Infrastructure is modern, with advanced labs, imaging, ICU capacity.

Challenges: Large hospitals often face capacity constraints—wait times for surgeries, specialist clinics or diagnostics may be long. High patient volumes can strain system especially in periods of crisis or seasonal peaks. Travel burden for patients from remote areas outside Calgary / southern Alberta. Coordination among many specialties and buildings can be complex for patients navigating the system.

Practical Information & Tips for Patients & Families

Address: 1403 29 Street NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 2T9. Switchboard: 403-944-1110. Emergency is open 24 hours. Wheelchair access is provided. Parking maps are available; transit access exists. For non-urgent specialist care or clinics, referrals and appointments are often required. Incoming patients should expect to plan travel & parking, and to check which building their clinic is in (McCaig Tower, etc.). If possible, check wait times or service availability in advance. Bring identification/health card.