Walls are rising and concrete is being poured for the new Emergency Department at Eagle Ridge Hospital that will be a game-changer in the way emergency health care is delivered in this region.
Excitement is mounting as visitors to the hospital see changes taking place. The new Bruce Kehler Cardiology and Community Outpatient Services departments are already open. Construction of the Emergency Department continues and is on schedule for a September, 2021 opening.
“The Foundation and community advocated for this essential project for 10 years. Fundamental to its approval was our commitment to raising $5 million towards the $37.5M project”, explains Eagle Ridge Hospital Foundation executive director, Charlene Giovannetti-King. “The current Emergency Department is undersized, outdated and inefficient. It became critical that we dug deep to get this project off the ground.”
The Foundation is nearing its financial obligation through generous donations from individuals and businesses. With $300,000 still to be raised, it is asking all Tri-Cities residents to join the effort and be game-changers in delivering best-in-class health care to our community.
Both Giovannetti-King and emergency physician, Dr. Michael Mostrenko continue to be inspired by how this community comes together to bridge the gap between what is publicly funded and what is needed. The current pandemic means people have come to truly understand how critical it is to have this new Emergency Department.
“Eagle Ridge Hospital was built to treat 20,000 patients annually. We have far exceeded that capacity for years, treating over 50,000 now. We are really bound by an outdated department that has served its purpose. Our community deserves this state-of-the-art facility”, says
Dr. Mostrenko.
Specially designed to be efficient and provide the latest clinical standard of care, the new 21,000- square-foot facility will ensure Dr. Mostrenko and his colleagues have three times their current space and the latest technology to deliver the highest standard of care.
Unique to this project is the fact that the clinical team, those with firsthand knowledge of emergency care, has led the design of the Emergency Department in collaboration with architects rather than the other way round. Among the innovations are two large resuscitation rooms with ceiling mounted diagnostic tools that will double the current capacity, private exam and consultation spaces with glass sliding doors, separate entries for ambulances and walk-ins, dedicated family and child-centered waiting spaces, high acuity rooms with space for donning and doffing personal protective equipment and isolation spaces for containing infectious diseases.
Large windows letting in natural light, nature-inspired motifs reflecting the beautiful place we live, and privacy contribute to an improved patient experience, Dr. Mostrenko believes. “These sorts of things are intangible
but they will make people more comfortable,” says Dr. Mostrenko.
Giovannetti-King agrees that the new Emergency Department will improve every patient’s experience and is why she believes the community will help the Foundation reach its fundraising goal.
“It would be amazing if everyone in this community donated what they can to help transform health care in the Tri-Cities, now and for future generations. Together we can do this,” Dr. Mostrenko says.
For more information, visit erhf.ca.
