Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/126200
Fast Facts 1974 The year Peace Arch Hospital established its first ED The number of times the ED has been renovated since 1980 3 1980 1 to be made over the next five years, with the immediate priority being the ED expansion. "We are using every available chair and stretcher space within the ED to care for our patients," says Jodi Kortje, ED program manager. "While the entire Peace Arch Team is focused on safe discharge planning every day, we are often required to use hallway space to manage the growing number of patient visits and admitted patients. We simply have no more room to expand." The goal of the Plan is to bring the ED up to best-practices standards with a number of proposed changes, including: a private triage area; dedicated ambulance entrance; significantly more treatment spaces; isolation rooms; and an improved layout and space configuration. Jodi Kortje, ED Program Manager The year the ED moved to its current location "While the care provided here even in the current space is exceptional, the space itself needs to be more functional," says Mary Rhode, site director, Peace Arch Hospital Campus. "With a state-of-the-art facility, we can attract and retain exceptional skilled staff and physicians, as well as reinforce the focus on quality patient and family centered care." The number of treatment rooms dedicated to treating children 19 22 The number of treatment rooms currently in the ED The number of patients admitted to spend the day and/or night in the ED At peak times, the number of patients admitted to spend the day and/or night in the ED 8 30 to 35 health + care spr i ng /sum m er 2013 p06-9 Cvr Stry-Dr Murray Q&A.indd 8 "We are using every available chair and stretcher space within the ED to care for our patients. We simply have no more room to expand." "With a state-of-the-art facility, we can attract and retain exceptional skilled staff and physicians." Mary Rhode, Site Director Peace Arch Hospital Campus The ED revamp is based on patient feedback and best practice standards, says Kortje. "The three concerns consistently voiced by patients are lack of space, lack of privacy and the need for appropriate care areas for our specialized patient populations – pediatric, the elderly and mental health patients." Under consideration are plans for an ED that will be almost three times the size of the current facility, with huge benefits for staff, and patients and their families. The latter will have much more privacy, and doctors and nurses will have the space needed to provide the best care possible to their patients. Ready, set, go Stakeholders are now working on a detailed business case for the four priorities, which will set out the preliminary design, costs, feasibility and timing of the projects. Once the business case is completed, it will be submitted to the Ministry of Health for review and approval. An official timetable for the projects will be based on an approved business case. The goal is to have all the necessary approvals secured by July 2013. The level of cooperation between the Foundation and Fraser Health bodes well for the project: "So far we're tracking on schedule and everyone is pulling together in the same direction," says Rhode. "Aligning stakeholders is sometimes half the battle, and we have lots of champions: hospital leadership and other staff; members of the community; and Fraser Health and Peace Arch Hospital and Community Health Foundation, which have made this [the expansion and redevelopment of Peace Arch Hospital] one of their top priorities. That's significant leverage when it comes to getting the green light on this." ■ Photographs: Paul Joseph (top) 13-04-12 2:09 PM