The new 10-storey acute care tower, part of the Royal Columbian Hospital redevelopment project, has topped off. Work will now focus on building the new rooftop helipad and patient-care areas.
The tower will add more beds, introduce new equipment and technology, increase patient privacy and enhance healing with natural light and green spaces.
“Royal Columbian Hospital means a lot to people in New Westminster and the Lower Mainland – it’s where we welcome new generations, receive care when we need it the most, and where we have the hardest moments with our loved ones in the end,” said Jennifer Whiteside, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and MLA for New Westminster. “It’s great to see the progress that has been made to create a new acute-care tower that will increase the hospital’s capacity and provide a state-of-the-art working environment.”
The hospital redevelopment is a multi-year project that will take place in three phases. Phase 1 involved the opening of a new 75-bed Mental Health and Substance Use Wellness Centre in 2020. The acute-care tower is estimated to be complete in 2025. EllisDon is the contractor for phase 2 and phase 3 of the project.
Phase 2 includes the new acute-care tower, which will have beds for intensive care, cardiac intensive care, medical, maternity and surgical patients. The new, larger emergency department will have a medical imaging unit that will reduce travel times for procedures. There will also be new operating rooms and radiology suites that will connect with the existing Health Care Centre to create an interventional “super floor.” Phase 2 will also provide more maternity beds and maternity operating rooms. In addition, the tower will also have a two-level underground parkade.
Phase 3 will upgrade areas in the existing Health Care Centre and Columbia Tower.
Royal Columbian Hospital provides specialized services for people throughout the province. It is the only hospital in B.C. with trauma, cardiac care, neurosurgery, high-risk obstetrics, neonatal intensive care and acute mental-health care all at one site.
