Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Calgary | Canada Hyperbarics
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CAL Hospital Only 1 facility

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Calgary

Alberta. The Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre at Foothills Medical Centre operates Calgary's HBOT programme, Alberta Health-covered for recognised conditions.

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Quick Answer

HBOT in Calgary: Calgary has one hyperbaric oxygen therapy facility: the Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre at Foothills Medical Centre (part of Alberta Health Services). The programme provides Alberta Health-covered HBOT with 24/7 emergency capability for recognised indications including carbon monoxide poisoning, decompression sickness, delayed radiation injury, and diabetic foot ulcers. HBOT at Foothills is fully covered with a physician referral; no private HBOT facility currently operates in Calgary.

Key facts at a glance

City:
Calgary, Alberta
Facilities:
1 (1 hospital, 0 private)
Provincial plan:
AHS
Coverage:
Covers recognised indications
Typical wait:
4 to 10 weeks
Emergency:
24/7 at Foothills
Private cost:
No private HBOT in Calgary
Last updated:

Facilities

1

1 hospital · 0 private

Provincial Plan

AHS

Covers recognised indications

Typical Wait

4 to 10 weeks

For elective indications

Emergency

24/7 at Foothills

CO, air embolism, DCS

HBOT Facilities in Calgary

Alberta Health covers HBOT at the Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre / Foothills Medical Centre for all AHS-recognised indications. Physician referral required. Billing code 13.99I covers physician-supervised HBOT in Alberta.

Independent directory, no paid placements learn more

Hospital Programmes, Provincial Coverage Available

How Much Does HBOT Cost in Calgary?

Alberta Health covers HBOT at the Foothills hyperbaric programme for recognised indications at no out-of-pocket cost with a physician referral. Calgary does not currently have a private HBOT clinic within city limits; patients seeking private HBOT travel to Edmonton or out of province.

For an AHS-covered indication

$0 with physician referral

Fully covered with physician referral. Treatment is delivered at the Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre hyperbaric unit within the Foothills Medical Centre campus.

Private-pay option

No private HBOT in Calgary

Some facilities offer private-pay HBOT, typically for conditions outside the recognised indications list or for patients preferring faster scheduling. The nearest private HBOT clinic is in Edmonton (about 3 hours by car). Private sessions at Alberta private clinics typically cost $200 to $350.

Note: AHS-covered HBOT includes all treatment costs; parking and accommodation for out-of-region patients are the patient's responsibility. Alberta Health Link (811) can assist with coordination.

How to Get a Referral for HBOT in Calgary

For Alberta Health-covered treatment, obtain a referral from your family physician or specialist to the hyperbaric programme at the Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre (part of Foothills Medical Centre).

  1. 1 Confirm your condition is an AHS-recognised HBOT indication (radiation injury, carbon monoxide poisoning, diabetic foot ulcer, necrotizing soft tissue infection, decompression sickness, and similar).
  2. 2 Ask your family physician, oncologist, or specialist for a referral to any Calgary-area facility that bills Alberta Health for HBOT. Pick a facility from the list above and share its contact details with the referring clinician.
  3. 3 The AHS team triages referrals by clinical urgency. Emergency indications like carbon monoxide poisoning and decompression sickness are treated immediately without prior referral.
  4. 4 For elective indications, expect an initial assessment before treatment begins. Wait times range from about 4 to 10 weeks.
  5. 5 If the wait is prohibitive or your indication is off the AHS list, the nearest private option is in Edmonton or out of province. Contact details are on that city's facility list.

Emergency HBOT Access in Calgary

Time-critical hyperbaric indications in Calgary, including carbon monoxide poisoning, decompression sickness, gas embolism, and necrotizing soft tissue infections, are treated as emergencies at Foothills Medical Centre.

Call 911 for any suspected carbon monoxide poisoning, diving accident, or gas embolism. Alberta Health Services EMS will transport to Foothills Medical Centre, which operates Alberta's southern 24/7 hyperbaric medicine capability. For inter-facility transfers, physicians coordinate through the RAAPID (Referral, Access, Advice, Placement, Information and Destination) line. Alberta Health Link (811) can route non-emergency hyperbaric questions.

Getting There & Accessibility

Transit, parking, and drop-off details for each facility.

Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre / Foothills Medical Centre

3395 Hospital Drive NW, northwest Calgary. Calgary Transit buses from downtown serve the Foothills Medical Centre campus. Paid patient parking on site; accessible drop-off at the main entrance.

Conditions Commonly Treated

Foothills treats all AHS-recognised indications including decompression sickness, carbon monoxide poisoning, necrotizing soft tissue infections, and delayed radiation injury from cancer treatment at the Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre.

14 Health Canada-recognised conditions

Local Research Connection

The University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine maintains teaching and research affiliations with the Foothills hyperbaric programme. Alberta Health Services participates in CUHMA clinical practice development for Canadian HBOT standards.

Local Context

Foothills Medical Centre is Alberta's southern tertiary referral hospital and houses the Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre, which treats patients from southern Alberta, southeastern BC, and southern Saskatchewan. The hyperbaric programme at the Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre serves both the cancer-survivorship population with delayed radiation injury and the broader emergency indication caseload from a city with active diving, industrial, and recreational incidents.

All 14 conditions Research database National coverage guide

Nearest Alternatives to Calgary

If facilities in Calgary are fully booked or you need access outside regular hours, these programmes serve the surrounding region.

Misericordia Community Hospital

Edmonton, AB · 3 hours north by car

Alberta's other AHS hospital hyperbaric programme. 24/7 emergency.

Canora Medical & Hyperbaric Clinic

Edmonton, AB · 3 hours north by car

Nearest private HBOT option in Alberta. Broader indication acceptance.

Vancouver General Hospital

Vancouver, BC · Via interprovincial referral

MSP-covered in BC. Used for complex cases where BC-AB coordination is clinically indicated.

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Frequently Asked Questions, HBOT in Calgary

Questions below are drawn from what people actually search for about HBOT in Calgary.

Does Alberta Health cover HBOT in Calgary?

Yes. Alberta Health covers HBOT at the Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre at Foothills Medical Centre for all AHS-recognised indications. Billing code 13.99I covers physician-supervised HBOT in Alberta. A physician referral is required.

How much does HBOT cost in Calgary?

HBOT is free at the Foothills programme if you have an AHS-covered indication and a physician referral. There is no private HBOT clinic within Calgary city limits; patients seeking private HBOT typically travel to Edmonton, where sessions cost $200 to $350.

How do I get a referral for HBOT in Calgary?

Ask your family physician, oncologist, or specialist for a referral to any Calgary-area facility that bills Alberta Health for HBOT. Urgent cases such as carbon monoxide poisoning or decompression sickness proceed as emergencies through the emergency department without requiring prior referral.

How long is the wait for HBOT at Foothills?

Emergency indications are treated immediately. For elective indications, expect an initial assessment appointment before treatment begins. Wait times at the Foothills hyperbaric programme typically range from 4 to 10 weeks depending on clinical urgency.

Are there private HBOT clinics in Calgary?

No. Calgary does not currently have a private HBOT clinic. The nearest private options are in Edmonton, about 3 hours north by car.

Is HBOT covered in Alberta for chronic TBI or post-concussion syndrome?

No. Chronic TBI, post-concussion syndrome, and late-stage stroke recovery are not on the AHS-recognised list for HBOT. Patients seeking HBOT for these conditions need to self-fund at a private Alberta clinic in Edmonton, or travel out of province. Research evidence for HBOT on chronic TBI is mixed.

Where do divers from Alberta go for decompression sickness?

Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary and Misericordia Community Hospital in Edmonton both have 24/7 hyperbaric capability for decompression sickness. Most Alberta diving is in mountain lakes or recreational cave diving. Always call 911 first; AHS EMS will coordinate transport.

Can Saskatchewan or BC patients be referred to Calgary?

Yes, through interprovincial referral arrangements. Calgary's Foothills programme receives out-of-province patients when clinically appropriate. Referring physicians coordinate through the RAAPID line.

What to expect at your first HBOT appointment

  1. 1

    Pre-screening and consultation

    A hyperbaric medicine physician reviews your referral and medical history. You may need a chest X-ray or ENT assessment to rule out pneumothorax or inability to equalize middle-ear pressure.

  2. 2

    Compression (10 to 15 minutes)

    Chamber pressure increases gradually to 2.0 to 2.4 ATA. Ear pressure sensation is normal; you equalize the same way you would on a plane (swallow, yawn, or a Valsalva manoeuvre).

  3. 3

    Treatment at depth (60 to 90 minutes)

    You breathe 100% oxygen through a mask or hood. Many patients doze, read, or watch TV. Air breaks every 20 to 30 minutes may be scheduled depending on the protocol.

  4. 4

    Decompression (10 to 15 minutes)

    Chamber pressure returns to surface. You may feel mild tiredness or temporary near-sightedness that typically resolves within hours to days after treatment course ends.

  5. 5

    Course length

    Most indications require 20 to 60 daily sessions. Plan for a weekday schedule spanning 4 to 12 weeks. You can typically drive yourself home after each session.

Private insurance and HBOT in Alberta

Most Canadian extended-health insurance plans (Sun Life, Manulife, Green Shield, Canada Life) do not list hyperbaric oxygen therapy as a named covered service. Coverage sometimes applies when HBOT is billed as part of physician-supervised wound care, radiation oncology follow-up, or chronic pain management. Contact your plan administrator directly with the clinical indication and CPT or billing code your provider will use, and request a written pre-authorization before committing to a treatment course.

Travelling to Calgary for HBOT

Many HBOT patients travel for treatment because hospital programmes are concentrated in a handful of Canadian cities. For a typical 20 to 40 session course, plan for four to twelve weeks of near-daily attendance at the facility.

Medical travel programmes may cover mileage, transit, or accommodation for patients travelling long distances within their home province or interprovincially:

  • Ontario: Northern Health Travel Grant for Northern Ontario residents
  • Newfoundland and Labrador: Medical Transportation Assistance Program (MTAP)
  • Nunavut: Government of Nunavut Medical Travel
  • Northwest Territories and Yukon: territorial medical travel assistance programmes
  • Veterans Affairs Canada may cover travel for service-related conditions

Accommodation: ask the treating hospital about on-site patient guesthouses or negotiated rates with nearby hotels. Many cancer centres maintain Hope Lodges or equivalent patient-family residences at reduced cost.

Interprovincial reciprocal billing generally covers medically necessary hospital-based HBOT for Canadians away from their home province. Confirm coverage details with your provincial plan before travelling.

HBOT in other Alberta cities

Explore facility directories for other Alberta cities covered by Canada Hyperbarics.

Edmonton 2

About this page

This page is maintained by the Canada Hyperbarics Research Team, an independent, institutionally-authored resource for evidence-based hyperbaric oxygen therapy information in Canada. We do not accept paid placements, sponsorship, or advertising from any facility listed on this site.

Primary sources used in this page include Health Canada's Medical Device Active Licence Listing (MDALL), CUHMA Standards of Practice Guidelines, the UHMS Indications for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (15th Edition, 2024), provincial health authority publications, and peer-reviewed clinical literature indexed on PubMed.

AI-assist disclosure: content on this page is drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by the Canada Hyperbarics Research Team before publication, per our editorial policy. No individual author is credited; the institution is the author of record.

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