In the end, it’s about comfort
Patients and families in need of end-of-life care now have a place in Vancouver’s West Side with the new St. John Hospice.
Located on the University of British Columbia campus, the new, 14-room facility officially opened its doors on September 6 and moved patients into its rooms on September 11. Twelve of the 14 beds will be open now.
The St. John reception area.
Photo by Katja De Bock
“It’s really a lovely place,” says Val Munroe, director of Operations for Public Health and Hospice/Palliative Care at VCH-Vancouver. Residents of hospice have scenic views of the UBC Botanical Garden and campus. “It’s a brand new, beautiful building designed to meet the needs of both clients and families at the end of life. It’s a calming place with lots of space for clients and their loved ones to spend time together.”
The facility is the first in Vancouver with operational funding from VCH to be built with the sole purpose of being a hospice – our other hospices are in retrofitted buildings built for other reasons.
What also makes St. John Hospice unique is space available for UBC’s Faculty of Medicine to conduct research on palliative and end-of-life care and to train health professionals.
“Our hopes are that any new research conclusions would be published and distributed throughout British Columbia, and indeed around the world,” says Peter Hebb, a spokesperson for the hospice.
VCH has a total of 50 hospice beds in Vancouver, in Richmond and on the North Shore. The 12 St. John Hospice beds were transferred from the Marion Hospice located in the Windermere Care Centre near Vancouver General Hospital.
“We hope this facility brings comfort to our patients and their families during a difficult time in their lives,” Val says. “I think it will.”
The hospice is a partnership between VCH, Providence Health Care, UBC, the Vancouver Commandery of the Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem and the Order of St. John Palliative Care Foundation.
“VCH is grateful for the funds raised by the Order of St. John to build and fully equip the hospice and to UBC for donating the land,” Val says.