FORT ST. JAMES — The new Fort St. James hospital is officially open for patients with a much bigger capacity for care.
The new facility is three times the size of the previous hospital and has 27 beds, with 18 long-term care and nine acute-care beds.
Located at 606 Stuart Dr. E. it also has an expanded emergency department with two treatment rooms, a trauma bay and an ambulance bay. In addition, there are bigger laboratory and diagnostic-imaging spaces.
The current Fort St. James health centre will be integrated with the new hospital and will open for patients on Monday, Jan. 20.
The previous hospital opened in 1972 and is severely outdated in terms of space, size, functionality and technology, states a release. It had 12 beds and no decontamination room or dedicated area to receive, assess or triage patients in the emergency department. That facility had two treatment bays, one trauma room and no ambulance bay.
Discussions about replacing the hospital began in 2008.
The total capital cost of the project is approximately $158 million, including almost $140 million funded by the province through Northern Health and a contribution of more than $18 million from the Stuart-Nechako Regional Hospital District.
Demolition of the previous hospital is anticipated to begin in March.
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