A preferred proponent has been selected to conclude negotiations with Interior Health as part of the next step towards building the Interior Heart and Surgical Centre (IHSC) at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH).

The naming of Plenary Health as preferred proponent follows an extensive evaluation of the three teams that were shortlisted and invited to submit proposals to design, build, partially finance and provide facilities management services for the new centre that will permanently house the fifth provincial cardiac surgery program in B.C.

"Today we have reached an important milestone in the delivery of the new heart and surgical centre, the first ever cardiac critical care centre outside of the Lower Mainland," said Kelowna-Mission MLA Steve Thomson.

"This IHSC project is just one part of almost $1 billion of investment in health care in the region, which is bringing cardiac care and surgery programs closer to home for those living in the Southern Interior," said Kelowna-Lake Country MLA Norm Letnick.

"Since its inception at Kelowna General Hospital, the cardiac services program has proven successful beyond initial expectations. More than 2,000 individuals have been treated with excellent recovery rates," said Westside-Kelowna MLA Ben Stewart.

The next stage in the competitive selection process is to conclude negotiations with Plenary Health - a process that is expected to culminate in a performance-based agreement by summer 2012, with the demolition activities beginning immediately thereafter. Details about the agreement and fixed project cost will be made public after the agreement has been finalized.

"With the selection of Plenary Health as preferred proponent, we are excited to be moving forward with the conclusion of negotiations for building the new heart and surgical centre," said Interior Health board chair Norman Embree. "This new centre brings us closer to our goal of developing the KGH site into a world-class health care campus that serves the entire Interior Health region."

The IHSC building includes capacity for a total of 15 operating rooms, including two dedicated cardiac operating rooms. Approximately up to 600 open heart procedures per year will be performed in the IHSC. The building will also house surgical support services, including the cardiac surgery intensive care unit, a new and expanded central sterilization reprocessing department and a pre and post operative care unit.

As part of Interior Health's commitment to environmental sustainability and green buildings, the new centre will be designed and constructed to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification, helping to create a healthy and healing environment for patients and health-care professionals.

A fairness adviser, Jane Shackell, QC, of Miller Thomson LLP, was appointed to oversee and monitor the entire evaluation process to ensure that it was fair and followed the requirements outlined in the request for proposals. The report of the fairness adviser concluded that the process for selecting the preferred proponent was open, fair and equitable. The fairness adviser's report will be made publicly available once completed on Partnerships BC's website at www.partnershipsbc.ca.

The Province is making record investments in health-care facilities at KGH. The IHSC building is part of the overall Interior Heart and Surgical Centre Project. The project includes the East Pandosy Clinical Support Building, as well as renovations and fit-outs of existing buildings at KGH. The project is being developed as a public-private partnership with capital funding from the province and the Central Okanagan Regional Hospital District.

The IHSC building will be constructed at the corner of Pandosy Street and Rose Avenue. The existing Pandosy building will be deconstructed to make way for the new IHSC building.

Learn More:

Read more about the IHSC projects and Kelowna Vernon Hospital projects at www.buildingpatientcare.ca.

A backgrounder follows.

Media contact:

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

Cam McAlpine
Communications
Interior Health
250 801-1741

BACKGROUNDER

Preferred proponent

Following the completion of the request for proposals stage, Plenary Health has been named as the preferred proponent to design, build, partially finance and provide facilities management services for the new Interior Heart and Surgical Centre at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH).

The next stage in the competitive selection process is for Interior Health to conclude negotiations with Plenary Health to reach a final, performance-based, fixed priced project agreement.

Members of Plenary Health include:

• Plenary Group
• HOK Architects
• CEI Architecture Planning Interiors
• PCL Constructors Westcoast Inc.
• Johnson Controls Inc.

An evaluation committee comprised of representatives of Interior Health and Partnerships BC evaluated the request for proposals. The evaluation committee appointed four evaluation review teams, whose membership included clinicians and front-line staff and consultants with specific expertise in health-care planning and operations, design and construction and facilities operations.

These evaluation review teams assisted in the evaluation of the proposals in the following categories:

• Clinical and technical design
• Facilities management services
• Financial

The overall objective of the evaluation was to select the best proposal that was affordable and met the project objectives, such as efficient hospital designs that are forward-thinking and flexible, expandable, and sustainable and create a healing environment for patients.

Media contact:

Ryan Jabs, Media Relations Manager
Ministry of Health
250 952-1887

Cam McAlpine
Communications
Interior Health
250 801-1741