The Red Deer Regional Health Foundation continues to advocate for the needs of the Red Deer Regional Hospital and the best interests of Central Albertans.

The Foundation is encouraged following a meeting with Provincial Health Minister Sarah Hoffman where they had the opportunity to talk about the problems the Hospital, and patients are facing when it comes to receiving health care treatment.

Health Foundation Board Chairman Bob Bilton says he left with some optimism "I will say that the Health Minister listened very intendedly to what we had to say and I think she was somewhat surprised at the numbers, both the number of people that Red Deer services, the level of acuity that the Red Deer Regional Health Centre is and the time it takes to get people transfered to Edmonton and Calgary and how much worse the outcomes are in the Central Region".

Bilton believe's there's a shortage of funds Provincially for health care, so when it comes down to splitting up the money, it's easier to bump Red Deer off the list than saying no to Edmonton and Calgary.

Bilton adds that needs to change though, as the Red Deer Regional Hospital is the 3rd or 4th busiest in the Province.