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KELOWNA – The Kelowna and Vernon
Hospitals project reached another key milestone today with the release of the
Request for Proposals (RFP) to design,
build, finance and maintain the expansion of the Kelowna General Hospital (KGH)
and the Vernon Jubilee Hospital (VJH).
“Today
marks an exciting milestone for patient care in the Interior as we move forward
with plans to modernize and expand Kelowna General Hospital and Vernon Jubilee
Hospital,” said Health Minister George Abbott. “All across British Columbia, we
are investing in world-class health facilities to ensure patients can access
safe, high-quality health care.”
Three proponent teams responded to the Request for Qualifications that
closed on June 4, 2007 and were shortlisted and have been invited to respond to
the RFP. The teams are:
·
Infusion
Health;
·
Okanagan
Health Solutions; and
·
Plenary
Health.
Once submissions to the RFP are received and
evaluated, a preferred proponent will be selected and offered the opportunity
to finalize an agreement to undertake the hospital expansions in Kelowna and
Vernon.
The expansions consist of:
· Vernon Jubilee Hospital Diagnostic and Treatment Building;
· Kelowna General Outpatient Hospital; and
·
Kelowna General Hospital Emergency Department
expansion.
“Okanagan residents can look forward to receiving
the best patient care,” said Rick Thorpe, MLA for Okanagan-Westside. “Our
government is committed to the future of the Interior and the planned expansion
of the Kelowna Hospital will provide the medical attention that patients need,
right here.”
“The Kelowna and Vernon Hospitals project is
now one step closer to meeting the future patient care and capacity needs of
the Okanagan and beyond,” said Okanagan-Vernon MLA Tom Christensen.
The VJH component will consolidate existing programs and allow future expansion. It will include outpatient care services, intensive care, cardiac care and maternity and pediatrics.
“These facilities in Vernon and Kelowna form the cornerstone for the expansion of patient care services in the Okanagan,” said Murray Ramsden, CEO of Interior Health. “It is the largest health-care announcement in Okanagan history and will contribute to significant enhancements to patient care. We look forward to the next phase of the project.”
Construction is expected to begin in 2008, after tendering is completed and costs are finalized, with completion targeted for 2010. All health services will be funded by the Province of B.C. through Interior Health, in keeping with the principles of the Canada Health Act.
Previous
components of the Kelowna General Hospital redevelopment include the new
$5.3-million Adolescent Psychiatry Unit, which opened on the fifth floor of the
Royal building in 2005, 248 net new residential care beds and assisted living
units in the Central Okanagan since 2001 and a new $8-million parkade on the
southwest corner of the hospital, which opened in fall 2006. Also underway is
the redesign of the neonatal unit at KGH to enhance facilities for newborns and
their families, and construction on a new 24-bed Central Okanagan Hospice
Centre on Ethel Street. On Sept. 24, 2007, Premier Gordon Campbell announced
plans for the first ever cardiac centre
in the Interior. The fifth site at KGH will increase capacity for heart
services in B.C. and reduce trips to the Lower Mainland for patients who need
advanced cardiac care services. It is expected to be operational by the end of
2012.
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contact: |
Media Relations Manager Ministry of Health 250 952-3387 250 480-6678 (cell) |
Communications Officer Interior Health 250 862-8209 250 801-1741 (cell) |
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For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca. |
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