This is one of two new signs appearing on the VGH campus. The sign locations shouldn’t be confused with the proposed location for the Joseph & Rosalie Segal Family Centre.
Take a stroll on the VGH campus and you’re sure to see one. A sign, that is, about our new mental health centre.
Announced in April by the provincial government, the new 100-bed facility — named the Joseph & Rosalie Segal Family Centre (JRSFC) — will consolidate inpatient, outpatient and outreach mental health and addiction services to provide an enhanced continuum of care.
In addition to the sign installed on Oak Street by our very own VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation, two new signs are now on view to the public: one on the Heather Pavilion lawn along 10th Avenue and the second in front of the Health Centre on 12th Avenue. But don’t confuse either of the new sign locations with the JRSFC’s future home.
“Our proposal to the Ministry of Health is to build the new centre on the Willow Chest Centre site,” explains Samule Collins, project manager, Lower Mainland Facilities Management. “We chose this site because of its proximity to acute services, Willow Pavilion, as well as clinical, allied health and support services. Compared to other sites we considered, Willow Chest provides operational, safety and security benefits for patients, staff and physicians.”
Opening in 2017: The Joseph & Rosalie Segal Family Centre will consolidate mental health services to provide an enhanced continuum of care.
Willow Chest Centre, like the Health Centre, is nearing the end of its operational life and both buildings are slated for demolition — another reason the Willow Chest site is preferred. The Health Centre will be replaced by gardens and green space for patients, staff and the public to enjoy.
Next steps are in the works and we’re aiming to engage staff, as well as clients and families associated with the project, in the planning process. Assuming the Ministry accepts our proposal in early 2013, we expect to begin demolition of Willow Chest Centre next August.
The doors to the Joseph & Rosalie Segal Family Centre and a new era of mental health care at VGH will open in early 2017.