New Lions Gate Hospital acute care facility one step closer to reality
A new acute care facility at Lions Gate Hospital is one step closer, following the Province’s approval of the concept plan for the facility at an announcement last week.
A concept plan considers the community health needs now and into the future and includes an assessment of the project’s expected capital costs. The project now will proceed to the business plan phase, which includes further analysis of health-service needs and more detailed information on its scope, procurement plan and funding.
Details of the new $170 million facility will be finalized over the next 18 months during the business planning phase. A separate $26-million project to replace the hospital’s 1961 power plant on the Lions Gate Hospital site also was approved to proceed to construction.
Karin Olson, Chief Operating Officer, Coastal, speaks at the announcement of a new acute care facility at LGH last week.
“Lions Gate Hospital has been an integral part of this community for almost 80 years and the concept plan approved today means it will continue to do so for another 80 years or more,” says Karin Olson, Chief Operating Office, Coastal. “Our staff and physicians are honoured to serve the needs of more than 75,000 Coastal patients every year and this new state-of-the-art acute care facility will not only meet their needs, but the needs of our changing population.”
Lions Gate Hospital Foundation launched a major fundraising campaign for the new facility, with a goal of raising $100 million. To date, the foundation has raised $50 million.
Dr. Ramesh Sahjpaul, Chief, Coastal Department of Surgery and Medical Director, Surgery Program.
In 2015, the foundation received a $25-million gift from North Shore resident and local entrepreneur Paul Myers to support the future development of Lions Gate Hospital. In recognition of Myers’ gift, the hospital’s south acute tower was named the Paul Myers Tower in his honour. This name will be transferred to the new acute care facility.
It’s early days, but we have been meeting with key business and community leaders, many of whom have already made early commitments to this project,” says Ryan Beedie, president, Beedie Development Group and Lions Gate Hospital Foundation campaign chair. “Like me, they see the need, and the fact that we have already raised $50 million of our $100-million goal is a powerful statement about the importance of this project to our community. I believe everyone has a part to play in this campaign and when the centre is built, it will be something everyone in our community can be proud of.”
Lions Gate Hospital, built in 1961, is one of five neurosurgery centres in British Columbia, providing a full range of general and specialized acute care services. About 15,000 surgeries are performed at the hospital each year, a figure that will increase with the aging population and an increase in population. The hospital has 268 beds, eight operating rooms, and a variety of diagnostic services and equipment.
The four North Shore MLAs, Karin Olson, Dr. Ramesh Sahjpaul and Ryan Beedie look on as the model of the new acute care facility at LGH is unveiled.