The Manitoba government has announced that it is re-establishing a cardiac centre of excellence at St. Boniface Hospital, including a new rapid cardiac assessment unit, to help Manitobans receive the care they need.
“Heart disease touches families across the province and Manitobans deserve to know they can count on world-class care close to home,” said Premier Wab Kinew. “We made a commitment to rebuild cardiac care at St. Boniface, and we’re delivering on that. Our government is restoring this program that was once among the best in the country and ensuring our specialists have the support they need to deliver timely, life-saving care.”
St. Boniface Hospital is Manitoba’s only site for adult inpatient cardiac care and provides specialized services for patients provincewide. The new cardiac assessment unit, a dedicated area to expedite consults and cardiac workups, will allow patients arriving at the emergency department with heart-related concerns to be seen earlier by a specialist, helping reduce delays in care and ease pressure on emergency departments.
The investment will expand inpatient cardiology capacity at St. Boniface Hospital by 19 beds, helping more Manitobans access specialized care and improving patient flow across the system.
In 2017, St. Boniface Hospital’s cardiac sciences program was ranked among the best in Canada by the Canadian Institute for Health Information, recognized for strong patient outcomes and a collaborative, team-based model of care. In the years that followed, cuts to funding and staffing reduced capacity and put strain on the system, resulting in the dismantling of the program, the minister noted.
“This is about restoring a program that was once recognized as the best in the country,” said Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara. “The previous government made cuts to cardiac care at St. Boniface Hospital that reduced capacity while demand kept growing, and that had real consequences for patients and the teams delivering care. By adding beds, increasing access to procedures and creating a dedicated cardiac zone, we’re rebuilding that program so Manitobans can get timely, specialized care when they need it.”
The investment also supports expanded cardiac services at St. Boniface Hospital, including increased access to catheterization and electrophysiology procedures, more timely access to life-saving interventions such as transcatheter aortic valve implantation and improved co-ordination of care through a centralized access office and rapid cardiology consults in the emergency department.
This work is part of the Manitoba government’s plan to rebuild and strengthen health care by expanding capacity, improving access to specialized services and reducing wait times across the system.
