“I remember being very afraid,” says Kelly-Anne Karse.

The head nurse for the VGH OR Control Desk still has vivid memories about her student experience in a perioperative suite — actually, three perioperative suites.

“Before Jim Pattison Pavilion, we had ORs in Centennial, Heather and Willow Chest,” she explains. “I remember running in the middle of the night from one building to another for an emergency case. You’re disoriented, you’re trying to find supplies and a patient is in need.”

Today, Kelly-Anne is grateful midnight sprints to Willow Chest aren’t required anymore — the Jim Pattison Pavilion was welcome relief. Almost 30 years on, surgery and technology have changed. The VGH perioperative suite has become dated, inefficient and impacted by HVAC, electrical and plumbing troubles.

“Who would have thought that in my career we would need a new perioperative suite,” says Kelly-Anne with a chuckle. “But, we do, and we must think long term. No more band-aid solutions.”

A plan for renewal and growth

Surgeon-in-Chief Dr. Bas Masri (left) and Dr. Andrew Sawka, Medical Director, Perioperative Services, discuss potential layouts for new ORs at VGH.

The VGH OR Renewal Project is about much more than ORs. The project also encompasses the sterile core, where supplies are stored, pre- and post-op care areas, new equipment — even the staff lounge and lockers.

“Renewing the VGH perioperative suite is of foremost importance to the health of all British Columbians,” says Dr. Bas Masri, surgeon-in-chief.  “A larger, leading-edge perioperative suite will improve patient access to safe, quality care and enhance the overall patient experience.”

The project includes replacing the 22 ORs on Jim Pattison (JP) 2 with an entirely new perioperative suite of up to 30 ORs on JP 2 and JP 3, as well as sufficient pre- and post-op care beds, and space for equipment/supply storage and support service areas. In addition, the project will provide the space and essential infrastructure to build and equip additional ORs to accommodate future growth.*

More than fun and games

Current building plans will allow for up to 30 ORs on the second and third floors of the Jim Pattison Pavilion tower at VGH.

On April 27, physicians and staff participated in a “gaming” session involving floor plans and OR puzzle pieces. The objective of the game was to fit all the pieces of the puzzle together to maximize safe patient flow and OR efficiency.

David Nash, supervisor of Perfusion Services, attended. “It was great to work alongside so many department heads,” he says. “People shared their thoughts equally and everyone’s input was valued.”

Like Kelly-Anne, David has seen a lot of change over his career. As a perfusionist, he’s using bigger and more expensive equipment — and more of it — than ever before, so he appreciated the game allowing for thoughtful planning of equipment storage.

“We work with fragile equipment,” he explains, “and the lack of storage puts it at risk of breaking — what if a heart/lung machine breaks and we have an emergency?”

The outcomes of the gaming session will inform the design of the floor plans for our new perioperative suite, but there’s still a lot of work to do.

Next steps forward

Outcomes of the layout gaming session will inform the design of the floor plans for our new perioperative suite at VGH.

Follow-up meetings with physicians and staff will move planning forward to finalize a layout option in July. Alongside this work, the project team will be consulting other hospitals with ORs on more than one floor to help design the best possible perioperative suite at VGH.

“I’m feeling confident that we’re moving in the right direction says,” David. “The next generation will live with our decisions and we’re taking care to ensure we’re making the right choices for the long term.”

Learn more

• Questions & Answers  (printable)
• Before & After at a Glance (printable)
• VGH OR Renewal Project website (internal link on VCH Connect)

The project team also welcomes comments and questions. Please send them to OneVancouver@vch.ca using the email subject line: “VGH OR Renewal”.

*Project scope, including the number of ORs to be built, is contingent on budget and Ministry of Health approval.