Unit 43 at the Peter Lougheed Centre offers care to patients afflicted with both medical and psychiatric illnesses.
Patient Louise Maheux suffers from a severe kidney infection as well as a schizoaffective disorder and psychiatric illness.
"I've never been in a situation like this," says Maheux. "I've been in psych units, I've been in medical units, and this is by far the best I've ever been in."
In traditional medical units, patients with a mental illness would have consultations with psychiatrists, but not as part of their daily care.
The nurses in the unit are trained in both medical and psychiatric care.
Dr. Elizabeth Mackay, an Internal specialist, sees the benefit in the joint treatment.
"We've had patients that go between mental health services and medicine service," says Dr. Mackay. "Going through those steps, we may be repeating things because we're not able to bring everyone together."
This is the first unit of its kind in Canada.
