Opening of new Ambulatory Care Unit marks completion of Sechelt Hospital expansion
Sechelt Hospital’s decade-long transformation into a state-of-the-art hospital for people living on the Sunshine Coast is now finished with the completion of its new Ambulatory Care Unit.
Sechelt Hospital staff celebrated this major milestone event yesterday with MLA Nicholas Simons, VCH COO Karin Olson and representatives of the Sechelt Hospital Foundation and the Sunshine Coast Regional Hospital District.
“We’re happy to celebrate the completion of the Sechelt Hospital expansion project, which is a significant milestone for people’s health-care needs on the Sunshine Coast,” said Nicholas Simons, Powell River-Sunshine Coast MLA, who attended a celebratory event on behalf of Health Minister Adrian Dix. “The new Ambulatory Care Unit means more residents are able to access the treatment and services they need without having to travel to Vancouver.”
The $44.3-million expansion project, first announced in 2007, features a new emergency department, single-patient rooms in the new tower, new medical/surgical beds, more clinical space for ambulatory care and radiology, and the highest standard of infection control.
In 2016/17, the 50-bed hospital recorded 11,177 visits at the ambulatory care clinic and 15,610 visits at its emergency department.
The shíshálh Nation donated land for the hospital, which opened at its current site in 1964 as St. Mary’s Hospital.
In addition, three impressive totem poles carved by Tony Paul and Dion Louie now stand next to the emergency entrance to the hospital.
Sechelt Hospital’s new Ambulatory Care Unit includes a dedicated space for chemotherapy treatment.
“Sechelt Hospital’s new Ambulatory Care Unit will not only enhance the patient experience thanks to a larger and brighter space, it will improve our delivery of patient care thanks to the addition of dedicated rooms for services such as chemotherapy, hemodialysis, medical daycare and visiting specialists,” said Karin Olson, chief operating officer, Coastal Community of Care, Vancouver Coastal Health.
The new Ambulatory Care Unit marks the completion of renovations to the old Sechelt Hospital building, the third and final phase of the expansion project. Funding for the expansion project includes:
- $26.25 million from the Province of British Columbia
- $15.90 million from the Sunshine Coast Regional Hospital District
- $1.15 million contribution from the Sechelt Hospital Foundation
- $1.0 million from the Sunshine Coast Healthcare Auxiliary
In addition the Sechelt Hospital Foundation donated a further $1.115 million towards equipment and furnishings for the hospital.
“The community is owed a huge thank you for believing that the best medicine is local, and investing their money here at home,” said Dave Hawkins, chair of the Sechelt Hospital Foundation. “The Sechelt Hospital is an important hub for health care on the coast, so the hospital foundation and our many donors happily share in the celebration of this milestone.”
A stunning mural spanning the 70-foot hospital lobby greets visitors and recognizes the shíshálh First Nation’s culture and legacy at the site.