The Province, in partnership with Vancouver Coastal Health and the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation, today announced a $102-million project for 16 new state-of-the-art operating rooms to be built at the Jim Pattison Pavilion at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH).

“This will be one of the most complex hospital expansions in B.C. history,” said Vancouver-Fraserview MLA Suzanne Anton, who made the announcement on behalf of Health Minister Terry Lake. “World-class health care is vital to British Columbians, and through this strategic investment, the new VGH operating room suite will bring high-quality surgical care for the thousands of patients who have surgery at Vancouver General Hospital every year.”

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“As part of a broader strategy to improve patient access to timely surgery, this expansion will enhance our surgical capacity to meet current needs and position us to accommodate growth and technology in the future,” says Dr. Marcel Dvorak, Vancouver Coastal Health associate senior medical director. “Many of our current operating rooms are 30 years old and simply cannot accommodate new technology and equipment. Adding more operating rooms will ensure our patients from throughout B.C. get the surgery they need, when they need it, whether it’s emergency or scheduled surgery.”

The number of surgeries performed at VGH will increase from 16,800 per year to more than 19,000 per year, an increase of 2,200 surgeries annually. 

“Our world-leading surgeons deserve world-leading operating rooms,” says Barbara Grantham, VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation president and chief executive officer. “The partnership between government and philanthropy enables us to provide just that. We could not be more proud than to support the expansion of surgical services at VGH, for today and future generations.”

Total cost of the project is $102.4 million, with the Province committing $34.8 million, Vancouver Coastal Health providing $47.6 million, and the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation contributing $20 million. Completion is scheduled for 2021. It’s expected more than 450 direct construction jobs with an additional 299 jobs in supplier industries, providing goods and services used by the project, will be created for a total of more than 749 jobs during construction.

The B.C. government is making record investments in modern, safe infrastructure projects throughout the province. In doing so, these construction projects are creating well-paying, family-supporting jobs. These investments are possible because of the fiscal plan of the B.C. government.

As the adult Level 1 Accredited Trauma Centre in B.C., VGH provides unique and complex services to patients who often arrive by ambulance or air ambulance from throughout the province. Along with providing the highest level of care round-the-clock for injured patients from resuscitation through rehabilitation, VGH is a leader in academic programming, trauma training and research in affiliation with the University of British Columbia.