The Jim Pattison Acute Care Tower at Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster, B.C., is scheduled to open in 2026.Supplied
$1.5-billion expansion at British Columbia’s Royal Columbian Hospital
Three decades ago, a legacy gift from the owner of a property adjacent to Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster, B.C., laid the groundwork for the hospital’s charitable foundation to acquire additional nearby land. This foresight enabled a $1.5-billion expansion that will culminate in the opening of the Jim Pattison Acute Care Tower (JPACT) in 2026.
The tower is a 10-storey, state-of-the-art facility that will mark one of the most significant transformations in the hospital’s history by expanding capacity, introducing new technologies and creating spaces that prioritize patients and families.
“That first property donation was the keystone,” says Jeff Norris, president and CEO of the Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation, adding the foundation later received other donations and acquired additional properties near the hospital.
That land assembly is now the setting of the new Mental Health and Substance Use Wellness Centre, says Mr. Norris, adding the relocation of those services freed up space on the original site to build JPACT.
A donor-funded robotic surgical system, supported through Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation, is among the advanced equipment being moved into the Jim Pattison Acute Care Tower.Supplied
To give an idea of the size and scope of the tower, Mr. Norris says some of the largest floors are about the same size as a CFL field.
Some of JPACT’s highlights include more than doubling the size of the hospital’s emergency department, one of the busiest in the province with nearly 88,000 visits each year; 75 modern treatment rooms, four trauma bays and a dedicated medical imaging suite that will allow caregivers to respond faster when seconds count; and the increase of critical care capacity from 40 to 84 beds, including a new Cardiac Intensive Care Unit.
In a first of its kind in Canada the interventional ‘superfloor’ will unite operating rooms, cardiac catheterization labs and interventional radiology suites on the same level.
“By connecting his name to the tower, Jim Pattison brought a lot of attention to the project. It was an incredible endorsement from such a well-known and respected philanthropist, and it encouraged other philanthropists and donors to support the project,” says Mr. Norris.
However, when the original budgets for the tower were approved, some of the innovations and technology that are available today were not even invented, says Mr. Norris.
“This is where the foundation comes in to play its key role and identify new and innovative equipment that can make drastic improvements in the provision of health care – like robotic surgery – and provide the necessary funding,” says Mr. Norris.
This GivingTuesday is an opportunity for people to support the foundation and continue to shape the future of Royal Columbian.
Learn more: rchfoundation.com
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