A new acute care facility for Lions Gate Hospital is moving forward, as government has approved the business plan and laid out project details that benefit patient comfort and security.

The plan includes more single rooms for people and expanded surgical services.

“With the approval of the business plan, we are now officially moving forward with the new acute care tower at Lions Gate Hospital, so residents on the North Shore can access state-of-the art, quality public health care,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “I know community members have advocated for years for this to happen, and our government is proud to take this next big step.”

The new acute care building will be a six-storey tower with 108 beds, eight new operating rooms and a medical-device reprocessing department. The tower will be located on the site of the hospital’s former Activation Building, which was demolished in spring 2017. The estimated cost of the new acute care building is $166 million, with funding provided by government through Vancouver Coastal Health and a fundraising campaign by Lions Gate Hospital Foundation.

A separate $26-million project to replace the hospital’s 1961 power plant on the Lions Gate Hospital site is underway.

“People on the North Shore are looking forward to this long-overdue acute care tower, and it’s great that shovels will go in the ground shortly,” said Bowinn Ma, MLA for North Vancouver-Lonsdale. “I thank everyone who has worked so hard on this project, including our many community partners. A special recognition goes to the Lions Gate Hospital Foundation for its tremendous fundraising efforts. Without them, this project would be only a dream.”

In 2015, the foundation received a $25-million gift from North Shore resident and local entrepreneur Paul Myers to support the future development of Lions Gate Hospital. In recognition of Myers’ gift, the hospital’s south acute tower was named the Paul Myers Tower in his honour. This name will be transferred to the new acute care facility.

A new acute care building at Lions Gate Hospital is required to better support the health-care needs of patients living on the North Shore and meet current seismic standards. Having served the community since it opened in 1961, the south acute tower has outdated and obsolete patient-care delivery areas.

Quotes:

Karin Olson, chief operating officer, Vancouver Coastal Health’s (VCH) Coastal Community of Care –

“We’re thrilled that the Province has approved the next phase of development at Lions Gate Hospital and supports our vision for a modern, patient-centred acute care facility. This will transform the future of care at Lions Gate. Once built, the new facility will serve as the hub for services for people on the North Shore and throughout our coastal region and help VCH deliver the highest quality care possible.”

Judy Savage, president and CEO, Lions Gate Hospital Foundation –

“We’ve had a magnificent community-wide response to our appeal to raise $100 million, and in just over 18 months we have raised $92 million. This is a desperately needed facility and we are delighted that the project is now moving forward to the next phase.”

Quick Facts:

• Business planning finalizes details, such as scope and budget. The project will now proceed to procurement and then construction.
• Lions Gate Hospital Foundation's fundraising campaign for the new facility has raised $92 million to date with a goal of raising $100 million (with $96 million available to contribute to the capital cost of the project).
• Lions Gate Hospital opened in 1961 and is one of five neurosurgery centres in British Columbia, providing a full range of general and specialized acute care services. The hospital has 268 beds, eight operating rooms, and a variety of diagnostic services and equipment.