The $348.6-million Patient Care Centre at Royal Jubilee Hospital officially opened, bringing a new standard of care for all Vancouver Island families.

The new facility was designed to provide patients with a healing, supportive environment, which includes over 80 per cent single patient rooms - spacious enough to accommodate families, visitors and overnight stays. This family-friendly approach promotes the collaboration between families, patients, and caregivers and ultimately results in better patient outcomes.

All patient rooms are easily adaptable to different levels of care, and use the highest standards in infection prevention and control. The Patient Care Centre is also designed to be a centre of excellence in elder care.

Built to LEED Gold standards, the Patient Care Centre is the first Pacific Green hospital in Canada. A Pacific Green building supports environmental sustainability through its efficient use of energy, focus on water conservation and selection of building materials. It also addresses the overall health outcomes of patients and health-care providers through the increased use of green space, access to natural light, natural ventilation and the provision of alternative transportation opportunities.

From the groundbreaking in July 2008 to patient occupancy in March 2011, the successful project was on time and on budget. The Patient Care Centre is a public-private partnership between VIHA and ISL Health.

ISL is responsible for the design, building, financing and maintenance of the facility. VIHA will retain ownership of the building and provide all health and medical services.

Over the next three years, British Columbia's health-care system will benefit from investments such as the Patient Care Centre as part of a $1.9-billion health sector capital plan.

Quick Facts:

• The Patient Care Centre was completed on Dec. 31, 2010 - with patient occupancy on March 13, 2011.
• When the Patient Care Centre opened on March 13, 260 beds were ready. When all mental-health patients are transferred to the new facility, the total occupied bed count will be 360. The full 500 beds are expected to be in use by 2020.
• The Patient Care Centre is a public-private partnership between VIHA and ISL Health.
• The total project cost is $348.6 million - with $222.4 million from the Province, $107.7 million from the Capital Regional Hospital District, and $18.5 million from the Victoria Hospitals Foundation.
• The Patient Care Centre is the first Pacific Green hospital in Canada.
• The project includes a new $12.1-million energy centre which provides power, medical gases, water and other utilities for the 23 existing Royal Jubilee Hospital facilities, as well as the new Patient Care Centre.
• The two new generators provide 50 per cent more power using the same amount of fuel, produce fewer emissions and are 30 per cent quieter.
• The Patient Care Centre is 38,000 square metres (412,000 square feet) in size.
• At the peak of construction, 725 people were employed on the project - with the majority of them from the Greater Victoria area.

Learn More:

For more information on the project, visit: www.viha.ca/patient_care_centre

Media Contacts:

Ryan Jabs
Media Relations Manager
Ministry of Health
250 952-1887 (media line)

Shannon Marshall
VIHA Communications
250 370-8270