About
We aim to transform health care and improve health system sustainability through a community-focused model that will enhance health and social outcomes. The Covenant Wellness Community model empowers people and families to live well by anchoring health and wellness services in the community to ensure timely access.
Our vision for better health care
Designed to address unmet needs, the Covenant Wellness Community model invests in evidence-based services for seniors’ care, primary care and mental health care. This integrated services model:
decreases unnecessary use of acute care
enables smoother transition of care between hospitals and the community
increases access to community-based care through innovative approaches
Making the vision a reality
The Covenant Wellness Community model integrates health, social and community resources to achieve better, more sustainable health outcomes.
While the full suite of components includes a health centre, seniors’ continuing care, residential housing and retail space, the model can be tailored to the needs of diverse communities — rural or urban — across Alberta. Its scalable infrastructure and financing support long-term viability and expansion across the province.
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Our innovative partnerships and agreements draw on local assets and expertise, financing models and community resources for maximum economic and social benefits.
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Designed around timely access and connections with primary care providers, the model supports early intervention and management to reduce emergency department visits and avert major health crises. Co-location of providers promotes care co-ordination, teamwork and problem-solving, easier navigation and smoother transitions in care.
This complete community approach will transform the way community health needs are met and produce significant savings for the health system for decades to come.
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Once fully built out, each Covenant Wellness Community will support active, engaged lifestyles and aging in place. It will create the conditions for better health experiences and outcomes for all — especially those most at risk.
Benefits
The Covenant Wellness Community is a whole-community approach to supporting the health, well-being and quality of life of Albertans. All elements of this transformational model work together to support active and engaged lifestyles.
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The Covenant Wellness Community model offers relief to hospitals across Alberta, increasing system capacity and ensuring the best use of hospital space.
The model supports:
early intervention and management to reduce emergency visits, averting major health crises
a reduction in visits and admissions to emergency departments
a reduction in hospital patients awaiting alternative levels of care
avoidance of acute care expansion
operational savings by moving clinics from hospitals to community-based facilities
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Covenant Wellness Communities are designed to support healthy, active aging, independence, dignity and quality of life for seniors in the community. The model includes residential housing, continuing and restorative care and wellness services that support seniors as they age in place. Seniors will benefit from access to on-site retail, health and social services that reduce the need for hospital visits and emergency admissions.
Each Covenant Wellness Community also includes plans for an embedded Centre for Innovation in Seniors’ Care to advance best practices and improve care standards.
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The model recognizes health services delivery as an economic driver and incorporates a multisectoral approach to capital development. It aims to provide vital services for individuals and families while creating jobs and leveraging private expertise, making efficient use of limited taxpayer dollars.
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Covenant Wellness Communities harness technology and sustainable design to create efficient, forward-thinking environments for care.
Sustainability is built in through green infrastructure, energy-efficient systems, sustainable landscaping and transit-friendly design to help reduce environmental impacts and operating costs. The model promotes modern community planning and healthy lifestyles by considering walkability and access to public transit, public spaces and wellness amenities.
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Public-private partnership
The innovative project approach involves a joint venture with Rohit Group of Companies as our premier development partner.
Rohit Gupta and his team are working with the Covenant team to execute the vision of urban communities centred around wellness. Rohit Group is a collaborative partner, facilitating the design and development process, managing consultants and planning requirements, and ensuring constructability and value engineering.
“The wellness community concept will be a wonderful addition to the city and, I believe, a model for future development. Linking an innovative new model of healthcare delivery into a complete mixed-use community is an exciting concept that we are very pleased to be part of. We can’t wait to see the development come to life from the plans we have been working on for a number of years.”
Partners
We are leading a multipartner program to develop the Covenant Wellness Community.
The Covenant family
One of Canada’s largest Catholic providers of a broad range of healthcare services in hospitals and healthcare centres across the province.
A major provider of supportive living, long-term care and hospice services in Alberta responding to the growing and changing needs of an aging population and offering innovative work and care environments where residents and care teams work, thrive and grow.
A private, not-for-profit organization providing housing options for seniors in warm, welcoming communities that support independence and active living.
Covenant Foundation proudly supports Covenant Health, Covenant Care and Covenant Living and their more than 155-year legacy of healing the body, enriching the mind and nurturing the soul by raising funds to help support leading-edge programs and services, research and education, and state-of-the-art equipment at 21 Covenant facilities across Alberta.
Development partner
Rohit Group of Companies is a diversified real estate company developing specialty residential and commercial projects across western Canada for over 35 years. Our dynamic and innovative team uniquely designs each project to deliver on our purpose of helping everyone feel better about where they live.
Leasing agent
Colliers is a leading global real estate services and investment management company. With operations in 68 countries, our 15,000 enterprising people work collaboratively to provide expert advice and services to maximize the value of property for real estate occupiers, owners and investors.
Funding
Using a public-private partnership with Rohit Group of Companies reduces reliance on additional government funding.
This multisectoral approach will also channel medical retail revenue back into each wellness community to enhance services for patients, residents and families while maintaining low operational costs.
Healthcare delivery will be an anchor, drawing additional development and integrating complementary services, which will provide care to the community while generating revenue to subsidize facility operations.