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NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
June 5, 2007
New ICU opens at Royal Columbian Hospital
NEW WESTMINSTER – A new state-of-the-art Intensive Care Unit at the Royal Columbian Hospital to enhance the critical care facilities at the trauma centre and major tertiary referral centre for Fraser Health was officially opened today by Health Minister George Abbott.
“All across British Columbia, we are investing in modern, state-of-the-art facilities to deliver safe, high quality patient care today and for the future,” said Abbott. “The new intensive care unit at the Royal Columbian Hospital ensures critically ill and injured patients receive the most current standard of care.”
RCH’s new 9,200-square-foot ICU is more than double the size of the former unit. The new ICU features 16 private patient rooms, including two “negative pressure” rooms for enhanced infection control.
“This major upgrade will provide significant benefits to our patients, caregivers and all of the communities within Fraser Health that refer seriously ill patients to RCH,” said the hospital’s executive director, Gillian Harwood.
Previously, patients were cared for in 12 cubicles separated by curtains, and two small isolation rooms. The close quarters made it difficult to provide privacy, minimize noise, optimize infection control measures, and house all the sophisticated equipment needed to monitor and treat these patients. As well, staff could not move easily around the bedside. The new private rooms, now considered “best practice” in intensive care units, resolve those issues.
In December 2005, the Province recognized the growing demand for critical care services, and through Fraser Health, has committed $6.58 million towards the construction of the new patient-focused ICU. The RCH Foundation raised a further $1.1 million and pledged an additional $500,000 to equip the new ICU with state-of-the-art equipment.
“Our physicians, employees, leadership team and the board of Fraser Health are committed to ensuring the best possible level of care for all of our patients, residents and clients,” said Keith Anderson, interim CEO for Fraser Health. “This modern, new facility at Royal Columbian Hospital reinforces that commitment to critically ill patients.”
“This project is a wonderful example of how the RCH Foundation can partner with Fraser Health and work with the community to build on government funding and achieve the best and most advanced care for patients across the region,” said Adrienne Bakker, president & CEO of RCH Foundation. Bakker added: “Our donors should be very proud of their contributions.”
Donor-funded equipment in the new ICU includes:
- Three private waiting rooms to give families comfort and privacy to deal with emergency situations and make life-altering medical decisions;
- Sixteen state-of-the-art ceiling-mounted booms to house all the special monitoring, examination and treatment equipment required for ICU patient care;
- Five new state-of-the art ventilators to ensure all patients receive the level of ventilation they require;
- Eight infusion pumps to deliver highly accurate doses of vital fluids, medication or nutrients to patients;
- Additional vital equipment such as ceiling lifts, a reverse osmosis filtration system and a nurse call system.
The former Intensive Care Unit will now be renovated for an expanded Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit.
Fraser Health serves one-third of the province’s total population in an area that extends from Burnaby to Boston Bar. Royal Columbian Hospital is one of Fraser Health’s busiest hospitals. It is the designated trauma centre and the only hospital to provide highly-specialized cardiac and neurosurgery.
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Media Information:
Marisa Adair
Communications Director
Ministry of Health
250-920-8500
250-952-1887(media line)
Frase Health
Communications
604-450-7881 (media pager)
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