The million-dollar Emergency Department Campaign launched this week as a long awaited $17-million emergency wing expansion at Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital (KBRH) readies to break ground.
“The Foundation is committed to raising $1 million over two years and will purchase state of the art equipment to support patient care,” says Lisa Pasin, director of development for the KBRH Health Foundation (Foundation).
The emergency unit sees over 16,000 patients annually, including the most critically ill and injured patients from across the region, she said.
“Maintaining adequate service provision is of critical importance for our regional hospital, as KBRH is responsible for providing core services for our many stakeholders throughout the Kootenay Boundary, ranging from community members to industry partners,” Pasin added.
“The emergency department will triple in size and will address current space and service challenges, as well as accommodate projected patient care needs for years to come.”
Interior Health has developed a plan to renovate and build the extension by actively involving nurses and other staff in the design phase, KBRH Health Administrator Jane Cusden explained.
“This will ensure the plans and equipment requirements meet the needs of the team to deliver first class care to patients.”
A comprehensive design has been developed to increase the current square-footage and renovate existing space to ensure department needs and projected growth is accounted for.
“Infection Control standards and privacy standards are also jeopardized in the old unit, the new renovation will ensure these standards are met,” Cusden said. “These renovations will certainly improve the patient experience on any visit to the emergency department.”
The expansion will add one trauma room with two treatment bays as well as six Urgent Care Treatment bays. The project also includes the addition of six streaming examination rooms and three streaming stations, one Airborne Isolation Room, a procedural examination room for women, one quiet room for mental health consultation and a room for minor procedures of eye/ear nose and throat.
The updated ER will be funded with $9.36 million from the province through Interior Health, $6.24 million from the West Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital District and $1 million from the Foundation.
Ground breaking is slated for July 2018 and completion in December 2020.