Planning continues for one of the biggest moves in the North Okanagan’s history.
Patients and staff will relocate from the existing facilities at Vernon Jubilee Hospital to the new patient care tower Sept. 25.
“Every three minutes we will move a patient,” said Allan Sinclair, vice-president of acute services with the Interior Health Authority.
On Sept. 25, the new emergency room will open at 7 a.m. and patients will start moving at 8:30 a.m. It’s anticipated the entire move will be wrapped up by mid-afternoon.
“We are asking people to stay away from the hospital on move day,” said Sinclair.
“It will be a very busy, hectic day.”
As a result of the shift into the new tower, there will be some service curtailments Sept. 24 and 25.
Laboratory services will only be available downtown, while the cardiopulmonary clinics and ambulatory care will be closed for the weekend.
One emergency operating room will be open at all times.
IHA is also proceeding with some major changes to the existing hospital building.
The second (surgical) and the third floor (medical inpatient) functions of the west wing will be flipped so there is improved access between the operating rooms and surgical inpatients.
Renovations of the two floors will occur between October and December.
Some rooms will be taken offline for the work but Sinclair insists that’s just a temporary measure.
“The 148 beds approved and funded for Vernon Jubilee Hospital will not be changed,” he said.
