PROVINCE GIVES APPROVAL FOR NEW FORT ST. JOHN HOSPITAL

FORT ST. JOHN – Health Minister George Abbott was joined by Peace River North MLA Richard Neufeld and representatives from Northern Health, the Peace River Regional Hospital District and the City of Fort St. John to announce provincial funding approval to replace and expand Fort St. John Hospital, including a residential care facility.

“A new Fort St. John Hospital will be the first hospital replacement of this size in the North and the first time a hospital and a residential care facility will be built as a single public-private partnership,” said Abbott. “All across our province, we are investing billions of dollars in new health facilities and hospitals to improve access to quality patient care.” The new 15,000-square-metre, 55-bed hospital will provide 11 more acute care beds for the Fort St. John region and will include a 6,600-square-metre building for centralized food and laundry services. A new 123-bed residential care facility for seniors on the same site will share services with the hospital to increase operational efficiency. Both facilities will be built on 40 acres that was transferred to Northern Health by the City of Fort St. John. Completion is expected in 2011 with construction starting in spring 2009.

Northern Health delivers health-care services in the northeast through a range of facilities and programs, including hospitals in Fort St. John and Dawson Creek. Those two hospitals share programs to provide a range of specialized services for area residents. Fort St. John Hospital works with hospitals and health facilities across the northeast and currently serves a population of about 69,000, compared to around 4,000 people when the hospital was built in 1962. The northeast population is projected to increase by 21 per cent to approximately 84,000 by 2028.

The initial construction cost of the project is an estimated $268 million. However, the final cost of the overall project is dependent on the bids that are submitted as result of the request for proposal process and the market conditions throughout the competitive selection process. The Province will be contributing $179 million for the project, with the remainder identified in the regional hospital districts capital plans. The new facility will be pursued as a public-private partnership.