The Child in the Centre
Seventy-five Years at the Alberta Children's Hospital

Arty Coppes-Zantinga and Ian Mitchell

About the Book

The history of the Alberta Children's Hospital is fascinating. It was developed after World War I by The Canadian Red Cross for recuperation of children from less affluent families and officially opened on its first site in 1922. The hospital had its beginnings as mainly answering to orthopaedic needs due to the complications from such diseases as polio, bone and joint tuberculosis, and osteomyelitis. The Junior Branch of The Red Cross, children, that is, raised funds. By 1952, converted homes gave way to a hospital, but by 1958, the hospital was much less busy and added general paediatrics to orthopaedics. The Red Cross handed over the hospital to a special society in 1958 and that society, in turn, was taken over by the Government of Alberta in 1972. An extensive ambulatory care centre was developed through the 1970s and the school (which had always been a part of the hospital) which provides education and treatment for children with a physical, emotional or developmental disability who require a safe and therapeutic environment, opened in new premises in 1977. In 1982, a further addition included an emergency department, operating room, intensive care, and full in-patient facilities. These have changed over the years and are constantly updated to meet modern-day needs.

The Alberta Children's Hospital is the only one of its kind in the province and for 75 years has been providing care for sick children. Through the years, the community and dedicated volunteers and professionals have helped the hospital become recognized in excellence as a centre for child health care. The hospital is located at 1820 Richmond Road S.W. in Calgary.

The Child in the Centre is the first comprehensive history of this well-loved Calgary institution from its earliest days in a house to its evolution to a modern purpose-built hospital. It not only gives the perspective of health-care professionals and administrators, but it tells about life in the hospital as seen through the eyes of patients over the years. The authors have based their writing on original research, relying on archival documents and interviews. A major feature is the sheer number of original historical photographs.

About the Authors

Arty Coppes-Zantinga has an adjunct appointment in the Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine at the University of Calgary and is a historical consultant at Alberta Children's Hospital.

Ian Mitchell is a Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Calgary and has been on the staff of the Alberta Children's Hospital since 1982.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. The First Hospital 1922-1929
3. The Second Hospital 1929-1952
4. The Third Hospital 1952-1972
5. Preparation for a New Era 1972-1981
6. The Fourth Hospital 1982-1997
7. Constants in the Life of the Hospital
8. A Look to the Future
   Appendices
   Index

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