New hospital too costly

By Scott Neufeld http://www.dailycourier.ca/ nov 9,2006
Doctors have been urging the Interior Health Authority to look seriously at replacing Vernon Jubilee Hospital but that option is likely not going to be feasible. Despite the recent problems with the nearly five decades old building,including everything from the overcrowded emergency department to mould to leaks, there is simply not enough funding for a full replacement. "There is no replacement of any hospital in the long range program," said Ted Holmes, finance manager for the North Okanagan-Columbia-Shuswap Regional Hospital District. "The only hospital replacement I’ve heard of is as a rumour," he added. Replacing the entire existing hospital would cost approximately $300 million said Peter Du Toit, Interior Health communities administrator. He said Interior Health has decided to take a multi-phased approach by building a few new hospital improvements in Vernon at a time. "I think it’s still premature to say what’s going to happen," Du Toit said. "We’re not even sure about the financial numbers at this time, but it definitely does not include replacing the hospital."Vernon councillor Barry Beardsell said local government needs to push harder for improvements at the hospital. He said a new tower is only part of the equation because, according to the initial plans, it won’t provide any additional beds. "I think it’s time for local politicians to say to the provincial government this is not good enough," he said. "I think Mr. (Gordon) Campbell needs to spend more time paying attention to this issue and not the pronouncements he made last weekend in Penticton," said Beardsell The hospital’s new tower is in the early planning stages but the project costs could be high. In the prospective 2007 budget for the hospital district, the costs of planning for a new tower at Vernon Jubilee will total $287,909 per year for the next decade. Since the district pays 40 per cent of the cost and Interior Health pays 60, the cost for planning the first two phases of Vernon’s hospital expansion alone will total $7.6 million. The ballpark figure to complete phase one of the expansion, which includes the new hospital tower, is $60 million but that number could go up once the architectural schematics are finished in the spring. "Taxes will have to be raised," Holmes said. "Probably in the neighbourhood of 10 or 15 cents per $1,000." For a homeowner with a $250,000 property that would mean an extra $37.50 in property taxes every year for the next 20 years. Although that may not seem like a large amount, Beardsell said the hospital tax increases will continue to skyrocket as taxpayers take on the burden of capital hospital projects and equipment throughout the region. He said the province should take on a greater financial burden. "This would be the tip of the iceberg," he said. "The (project cost) is only in relation to today, not to what else is needed within that great big period of time."