Planning for new facilities at Vernon Jubilee Hospital is being
defended as meeting the needs of the region. The Interior Health Authority has issued a request for proposals for design work for a new tower at VJH. It would include diagnostic and treatment services. While some physicians have questioned whether the tower will address a growing region, administrator Peter Du Toit is confident the proposed project will modernize emergency, outpatient, surgical and intensive care services. “It will take a lot of pressure off the physicians and staff who work in cramped space,” he said. But while there have been some calls for a new hospital, Du Toit says that’s an ultimate goal. “This (tower) is the first phase of our master plan,” he said. “There’s so many demands in terms of capital. It’s not just VJH. There are only so many dollars for capital.” The proposed $54 million tower would be constructed on the current site of the Alexander wing. It could be open by 2011, but along with design work, IHA must also present a business case to the Ministry of Health for funding. “The process of giving them information has already started and the fact that they’ve given us approval for design is a good signal,” said Du Toit. If the project proceeds, the provincial government will provide 60 per cent of the funds while the remaining 40 per cent will come from the North Okanagan-Columbia-Shuswap Regional Hospital District. Tom Christensen, Okanagan Vernon MLA, has been made aware of physicians concerns that the proposed tower may not keep pace with population growth locally. “I’m assured population models take those things into account so we get what we need,” he said. While his preference is a new hospital right away, Christensen says that’s not realistic when the demands for health care facilities are high across the province. “If we replace the hospital in a phased approach, it’s more affordable to do it,” he said.
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