It was moving day Sunday at Kelowna General Hospital, as cardiac patients and staff settled into a new, renovated inpatient unit in the hospital’s Strathcona Building.
The space on the second floor used to house nine of the hospital’s older operating rooms.
As a result of the $34 million project to renovate the entire second floor of the building, the space has been turned into a new pace for cardiac surgery patients, complete with private rooms.
Construction started on the new unit in December 2015, when the nine older operating rooms were relocated to the new Interior Heart and Surgical Centre building at KGH.
“This new space was renovated extensively to create 16 single patient rooms, which will improve care for patients by offering enhanced infection control and added security as well as improved amenities such as private washrooms and a quiet environment,” said Kelowna-Lake Country MLA Norm Letnick.
With the help of staff members, physicians and volunteers, patients were moved to the new cardiac surgery inpatient unit on Sunday.
The next phase involves renovating 2 West at the hospital, the location where the 16 beds were moved from.
Plans for that space include creating single-patient rooms and common spaces.
The Strathcona Building redevelopment is part of the larger $381 million Interior Heart and Surgical Centre project at KGH.
“(The) single patient rooms will have many benefits to patients and families,” said cardiac medical director Dr. Guy Fradet.
“To begin, there are the safety benefits including infection control. Secondly, the added benefit of privacy advantages both the patient and their families and will better allow us to provide patient-family centered care.”
New Interior Health board chairman John O’Fee praised the commitment of IH staff at all levels to make the improvements at KGH.
“It takes a truly dedicated team – from our capital planning staff to those who provide direct care, and those who helped on moving day.”
Funding for the projects at KGH is a shared cost between the province, the Central Okanagan Regional Hospital District and Interior Health.
To learn more about the Interior Heart and Surgical Centre project, visit: www.interiorhealth.ca/sites/BuildingPatientCare/IHSC/Pages/default.aspx.