The Government of British Columbia announced that the newly refurbished and relocated cancer care clinic has opened at Richmond Hospital.
“The opening of the modernized cancer clinic marks a significant milestone toward strengthening our public health-care system and connecting people with the care they need in their own communities,” said Adrian Dix, minister of health. “The cancer clinic is part of the Richmond Hospital redevelopment project and is an example of work being done across the province to upgrade or expand hospitals, empowering health-care workers to continue to deliver people-focused services and high-quality care.”
With work on Phase 1 well underway, renovations are wrapping up on the ground floor of the Milan Ilich Pavilion. They include the updated cancer-care clinic, which opened to patients on Nov. 27, 2023. It has two additional examination rooms and care bays, as well as a clinical teaching room.
The Richmond Hospital cancer care clinic is leading a transformative approach to cancer care through the innovative Remote Symptom Monitoring (RSM) system. Recognizing the emotional and physical toll of chemotherapy and the gaps in communication that can affect a patient’s well-being, the RSM will help provide timely access to clinicians and reduce reliance on emergency department visits for manageable symptoms. Enrolment to the system began in early December 2023, marking a significant step toward improving patients’ cancer care journey.
Phase 2 of the updates to Richmond Hospital begins in spring 2024 with the issuing of a request for qualifications (RFQ) for the new Yurkovich Family Pavilion. Construction of the new 216-bed Yurkovich Family Pavilion, expected to be complete in 2029.
The pavilion will house an emergency department with 86 spaces, increased from 62, and add three operating rooms for a total of 11. The nine-floor facility’s pre- and post-surgical care spaces will grow from 26 to 69. The Pavilion will also contain an intensive-care unit, a fully equipped medical imaging department with four CT scanners and two MRI machines, a pharmacy, and short-stay pediatrics.
The entire project is anticipated to be complete in 2031.
