Surrey’s new day surgery hospital – the first of its kind in B.C. that takes no overnight patients – officially opened its doors Monday.
The $237-million Jim Pattison Outpatient Care and Surgery Centre begins to take its first patients for specialized surgery, diagnostic scans and other clinics and programs this week, ramping up to full operation by June 14.
The 188,000-square-foot complex in Green Timbers is expected to take significant pressure off congested Surrey Memorial Hospital.
“We hope to start seeing the benefits at Surrey Memorial Hospital that
will go on to create a positive ripple effect throughout the whole Fraser
Health system,” Fraser Health CEO Dr. Nigel Murray said.
The outpatient hospital was named after businessman Jimmy Pattison, who gave $5 million to help outfit the facility.
That was matched by the Surrey Memorial Hospital Foundation, through its 100 Days to Give campaign, together providing $10 million for equipment to help attract top-quality medical professionals.
The trend towards day surgery without the need for overnight hospitalization has been made possible by great advances in less-invasive medical procedures.
Consolidating outpatient services together in one building will result in faster diagnosis, reduced wait times and better health outcomes, officials say.
The centre includes six operating rooms and 10 procedure rooms, as well as X-rays, MRI, CT scanners and space to provide various specialized health programs.
It brings the first comprehensive HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C clinic in the Fraser Valley, a breast health clinic for early detection of cancer, a shockwave therapy program to break up kidney stones without surgery and a clinic for patients at risk of blood clots.
Efficiency is the name of the game, with innovations like express kiosks where scheduled patients can check in quickly on arrival, in either English or Punjabi with more languages to come.
The project was built as a public-private partnership with BC Healthcare Solutions, which financed, designed, built and now maintains the facility.
“It’s a beautiful facility that has been designed with patients in mind including considerations of the diverse community it serves,” said Health Minister Mike de Jong, one of the dignitaries at Monday’s ceremony.
