Patients staying at the BC Cancer Agency's Vancouver centre will no longer have to be moved to a separate examination room when receiving general check-ups, thanks to a new bed-lighting system that will assist doctors in conducting examinations in-room.

The new bed lights will also offer a night light/reading light for patients, to improve comfort and convenience while receiving treatment at the BC Cancer Agency. It will also permit staff to do basic rounds in the night without disturbing the patient by turning on overhead lights.

This $100,000 upgrade is one of several improvement projects set to take place at the Vancouver centre as a result of $450,000 in capital investment funding made available by the government of British Columbia.

A $100,000 project will see the upgrade of the centre's heating, ventilation and air condition handling unit controls to a digitally controlled system to enhance patient comfort while minimizing air flow disruptions and outages.

The digital system will also allow for greater overall control of the indoor environment while allowing the centre to reduce its carbon footprint. $250,000 has been set aside to replace the central medical vacuum and medical air compressor systems, which are used in patient procedures. The new system will provide medical staff with the necessary infrastructure to facilitate state-of-the-art patient-care models, while reducing energy consumption.

All three improvement projects will be put out to tender in October 2012, with the ventilation project expected to complete by March 31, 2013, and the lighting and medical vacuum projects expected to complete by June 30, 2013.

Quotes:

Minister of Health, Dr. Margaret MacDiarmid-

"Patient care in our centres is a top priority. Focusing our attention on innovative improvements like these allow us to operate with increased comfort for patients while continuing to offer efficiency and high-level care."

John Percival, project manager, Capital Projects, BC Cancer Agency-

"These upgrades will improve patient comfort and safety, a paramount goal that drives our decision-making. While improving patient care and working environments for staff, these improvements will also allow us to function in a more energy-efficient manner, demonstrating to the communities we serve that we can all contribute to a greener environment."

Media Contacts:

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

Patrick Blennerhassett
Provincial Health Services Authority
604 675-7416
604 871-5699 (media pager)