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New intensive care unit officially opened
With most responsible parties on hand, the new $20 million intensive care unit (ICU) and electrical system project for East Kootenay Regional Hospital (EKRH) was officially celebrated as completed this afternoon.
Hon. Bill Bennett, Minister of Energy and Mines and Kootenay East MLA, joined Interior Health, Kootenay East Regional Hospital District (KERHD) and community representatives to celebrate the official unveiling of the ICU and electrical system upgrade at the Cranbrook-based hospital.
“Our regional hospital continues to improve service to the public and having celebrated each milestone in this project, along with the community, I am very proud of the province’s continuing investment,” said Bennett. “The people of the East Kootenay will benefit for generations from this beautiful facility.”
Joining Bennett in the grand opening celebration, opened with a Ktunaxa welcome and prayer by Diane Whitehead were: ?Aq’am Nasukin (Chief) Jim Whitehead; Interior Health board director Dennis Rounsville; KERHD board chair and District of Elkford Mayor Dean McKerracher; former KERHD chair John Kettle; Cranbrook Health Care Auxiliary president Bonnie Close; East Kootenay Foundation for Health board chair Brian Clifford; and EKRH and regional chief of staff Dr. Lawrence Jewett.
“The building of a new ICU is just one of many accomplishments of our local MLA and speaks to the dedication of all our health-care partners to ensuring East Kootenay Regional Hospital is a truly regional hospital,” Dr. Jewett, said. “The great improvements we are talking about today will support our ongoing recruitment of specialists and build on the leading edge medicine we are doing here. This good news is about a commitment to quality care from everyone involved.”
“The Kootenay East Regional Hospital District has been a strong supporter of this project from the beginning as it will improve services for patients and their families and enhance our health care capabilities in the region as a whole,” said KERHD chair McKerracher. “It is an example of what can be achieved when different levels of government work together to pursue common goals.”
McKerracher told the celebration gathering, which filled the new ICU’s front/waiting room, that he had a special appreciation of the spacious new facility, noting he spent five days in the old one a few years ago.
While his care couldn’t have been better, he said, the facility leaved a lot to be desired.
McKerracher invited former KERHD chair John Kettle (also former Regional District of Central Kootenay Electoral Area B Director and RDCK Board chair) to speak and he saluted the entire process, with a broad smile and wave of a cigar, by acknowledging the work of all involved, singling out key Interior Health personnel and Bennett for his perseverance in Victoria.
The new ICU is located in a 787-square-metre (approximately 8,470 square-feet) addition on the northeast side of the hospital. The size and layout, providing eight times as much space as the former, will provide better flow through the unit for doctors and staff. It offers patients additional privacy, family spaces and maximized natural light.
The new electrical system, located in the basement of the new addition, improves the power supply to the entire hospital, optimizes the system’s performance and provides capacity to expand for future power needs.
The system was given an unplanned trial run last night (Feb. 18) during a 4.5 hour power outage. The backup system hummed to life as planned, said ICU project manager Lucas Miller, who conducted tours of the new facility, which features abundant natural lighting.
The new ICU unit will replace the current four-bed unit and feature two additional high-acuity beds. High-acuity beds are for patients who require more care than a standard inpatient ward, but less than the ICU, and will help make sure the right bed is used to meet the care needs of patients.
“The expanded ICU will provide East Kootenay residents with two additional beds in an environment that promotes healing,” stated Health Minister Terry Lake in a press release. “This project is just one example of how we are working with our health-care partners to deliver accessible, responsive care to the people who matter most – the patients.”
“These improvements are an example of what we can achieve through a collective effort focused on quality patient care,” said Erwin Malzer, Interior Health board chair. “I’d like to thank everyone involved for their commitment and persistence in seeing this project through. We can all take pride in this tremendous regional facility that serves patients from across the East Kootenay.”
“East Kootenay Foundation for Health is extremely proud of the many donors from across the East Kootenay that made a gift to the ICU Redevelopment Campaign,” said Brian Clifford, East Kootenay Foundation for Health co-chair. Their critical support of the campaign had a significant impact in providing the necessary funds so the great staff and physicians at East Kootenay Regional Hospital can provide intensive care in the best environment possible.”
Bonnie Close, Cranbrook Health Care Auxiliary president, praised the work of all health care auxiliaries in the region for their ongoing commitment to health care in the East Kootenay.
“Since 1901, our health care auxiliary volunteers have provided in-hospital services and raised funds to purchase equipment for our local hospital by operating the Thrift Store and Hospital Gift Shop. I acknowledge and am grateful to all of our volunteers who have worked to contribute $450,000 to the new ICU,” Close said.
Interestingly, the Invermere Health Care Auxiliary, represented at the event, was also begun in 1901.
The $20 million project was funded through the Ministry of Health ($11.478 million) and the KERHD ($7.652 million), with the remaining $870,000 coming from community donations including a direct donation from the Cranbrook Health Care Auxiliary and contributions from the Invermere and Kimberley health care auxiliaries as part of a broader East Kootenay Foundation for Health campaign.
In the months ahead, Interior Health will be training clinical staff and getting the ICU ready for when patients move into the new unit in April.
The community contributions are also allowing Interior Health to direct funding to a new pediatric department at East Kootenay Regional Hospital. The new pediatric unit will be located in the existing ICU space adjacent to the maternity/neo-natal unit, bringing all of these services into one area of the hospital.
Also on hand for today’s celebration were: Interior Health CEO Chris Mazurkewich; City of Cranbrook Acting Mayor Wes Graham and Coun. Tom Shypitka; City of Kimberley Acting Mayor Albert Hoglund; District of Elkford Coun. Ken Wildeman; Regional District of East Kootenay board chair and Electoral Area C Director Rob Gay; Electoral Area A Director Mike Sosnowski; Electoral Area B Director Stan Doehle; RDEK board vice-chair and Electoral Area F director Wendy Booth.
Photos by Carrie Schafer and Ian Cobb/e-KNOW
