Construction of the new Interior Heart and Surgical Centre (IHSC) surgical building is one step closer with the signing of an agreement with Plenary Health to deliver the new facility.

 Plenary Health delivered a proposal that reduced the capital-construction and operating costs. The construction schedule has also been shortened by several months in part by changing the method of ground preparation.

 All health-care services will continue to be funded by the government of B.C. and delivered by Interior Health. The B.C. government maintains control and decision‐making over services and owns the facilities during and after the life of the agreement.

 The final agreement with Plenary Health is a fixed-price, performance-based agreement to design, build, partially finance and maintain the new facility. The total cost of the IHSC surgical building component is $169.1 million. Construction is expected to start in autumn 2012, with anticipated completion by early 2015. The centre is expected to be open to patients in mid- 2015.

 The surgical building will provide a permanent location for cardiac surgical services and programs at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH). The centre will have state-of-the-art surgical facilities, a medical device reprocessing department, cardiac intensive care and post-operative recovery.

 In keeping with the B.C. government’s commitment to environmental sustainability and green buildings, the IHSC will be designed and built to achieve LEED Gold certification, and maximize the use of wood in the interior and exterior of the facility in keeping with the Wood First Act.

 The IHSC project is bringing cardiac care and surgery programs closer to home for those living in the Southern Interior. The overall IHSC project includes the IHSC building, the Dr. Walter Anderson building, renovations to the existing Royal and Strathcona buildings and fit-outs in the new Centennial building. Approximate total investment is $367 million, with $70.7 million from the Central Okanagan Regional Hospital District.

 As a part of the project, cardiac intervention procedures were launched at KGH in 2009. Previously, percutaneous coronary intervention’s (PCIs) were only performed at Royal Columbian Hospital, Royal Jubilee Hospital, St. Paul’s Hospital and Vancouver General Hospital. Since its inception, more than 2,000 individuals have received PCIs at KGH.

 The government of British Columbia has invested around $1.5 billion dollars in capital projects in the Interior since 2001. This includes a new Centennial Tower at Kelowna General Hospital, Polson Tower at Vernon Jubilee Hospital and the development of UBC’s Southern Medical Program.
 

For more information :