Bringing the very best in health care to residents of our community

The Partners in Caring campaign was developed to expand and improve health services available to our community. We clearly need and want a full-service community hospital which provides modern, efficient, state-of-the-art services. Our priority list is long and we are moving aggressively in collaboration with Fraser Health to address all the needs. The following major projects will be funded through this campaign:

More Acute Care beds for our community
Our hospital currently has 150 acute care beds along with 300 residential care beds. We critically need additional beds to cope with population growth, the needs of an aging population, and to help address congestion in our Emergency Department. This campaign will raise the funds to add 56 new acute care beds on the fifth and sixth floors, which were built as shells back in 1993. There will be 30 beds and a rehab gym in a Medical/Surgical Rehabilitation Unit on the fifth floor, and 26 beds in an Acute Care Medical Unit on the sixth floor. Construction is underway and is expected to be complete in Spring 2008.

A modern, updated Maternity Ward
The current maternity ward is now in need of updating to be at the leading edge of current standards and practices in maternity care. The entire facility will be re-built in Fall 2008 into individual birthing rooms, and will be re-equipped to provide family-centered care in a more comfortable environment for moms, infants and family members.

MRI – state of the art medical imaging right here at home
MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is one of the safest, most reliable and most flexible diagnostic tools available to our medical profession. Right now, local patients must travel to either Surrey Memorial or Royal Columbian Hospitals for MRIs. Rapid access to an MRI at our hospital will mean shorter wait times for other services, which is particularly crucial with cancer and other progressive conditions. This campaign will provide the funds to purchase the MRI.

Cardiac Rehabilitation – Help in our Community
Our Hospital initiated its Cardiac Rehabilitation Program in 1996. As need for this program grew the Foundation partnered with the City of White Rock to develop facilities for expansion at Centennial Arena. This program has enabled the Hospital to discharge low-risk patients much more quickly and by 2004 the program was serving more than 10,000 patients annually. The program will now be expanded to be able to help patients with chronic diseases including diabetes, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other conditions. This campaign will raise the funds to add two new fitness rooms, two exercise studios and an education room in a new 12,000 square foot community facility.

A new Emergency Department is a priority
In addition to our new acute care beds, another way to address congestion in the long term is to expand capacity in our Emergency Department. This will further ensure that we can adequately cope
with new demands from population growth, and from new technology and medical practices. The planning for this renewed Emergency Department has begun, so future generations can benefit from state-of-the-art emergency care. This campaign will provide the funding to implement this initiative once the planning phase is completed.

Other priorities
These five broad areas of need are by no means the only priorities for expansion and modernization at our hospital. But they have become part of this current phase of the fundraising campaign because they represent high-priority items for Peace Arch Hospital.