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s p e c i a l f e a t u r e royal Columbian hospital is b.C.'s busiest cardiac care centre, performing complex open-heart sur- gery as well as minimally invasive procedures to open blocked arteries and replace failing heart valves. R O Y A L C O L U M B I A N H O S P I T A L F O U N D A T I O N did amazing work and yet weren't inclined to draw attention to themselves," he says. "It's an admirable quality, but unfortu- nately it tends to compromise Royal Columbian when it comes to advocating for funding or the distribution of resources." So how will $1.35 billion make Royal Columbian better than it already is? For starters, the first phase will add a new mental health and substance use wellness centre to the infrastructure, consisting of 75 beds (an increase from the current 30) as well as a new, more efficient energy plant and an advanced fibre-optic network. Phase 2, which will unfold between 2020 and 2024, will see the construction of a new acute-care tower to provide more beds, a new and larger emergency department, four more operating rooms, more MRI capacity, plus equipment and site enhancements. The final phase, which will commence in 2023, includes upgrades to areas in the Health Care Centre and Columbia Tower to support the beds and services added in Phase 2. It includes expansion of clinical support spaces, conversion of four-bed inpatient rooms, and improvements and expansions to the pediatric and neonatal intensive care units. Sparrow notes that Royal Columbian is also respected as a teaching hospital in partnership with the University of British Columbia and other institutions: "We have upwards of 1,400 UBC residents and other students working here per year and that, too, will increase in size." The amount of planning and collabora- tion required to move this project forward is enormous, with the provincial govern- ment, Fraser Health, and the Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation respon- sible for funding — the latter currently fundraising in order to make multi-million dollar contributions to the three phases. "It's interesting to think that donations from industries and the community allowed the original Royal Columbian to be built in 1862 for just under $3,400, and here we are relying on benefactors again," says Foundation president and CEO Jeff Norris. "The response we've received is over- whelming: we've already raised one-third of the $9 million we set as the Foundation's goal for Phase 1 of redevelopment, thanks to a $1 million donation from BMO Financial Group to really get the ball rolling." As for determining the actual compo- nents of the upgrades, "A massive number of stakeholders are working closely with architects and builders, with three or four iterations of every element being carefully considered before one is finalized," according to Sparrow. Sue Paish, the Foundation's redevelop- ment campaign cabinet chair, says, "The hospital and the Foundation have been scrupulous not only in the brick-and-mor- tar development, but also the service delivery plan." To which Reynolds adds, "Our culture, our processes, how we flow patients through the system — everything is being analyzed to create even better efficiencies than we have now." Paish continues, "This process is vital, because health care needs are evolving. To take just one example, the population of seniors we serve will double in 20 years, and there are plenty of other changing demographics we must be ready for." While various public figures associated with the upgrades expressed their excite- ment about the project when it was first announced in 2017, New Westminster mayor Jonathan Cote most accurately summarizes the sentiment by remarking, "Finally, the sleeping giant that is Royal Columbian is getting the attention it deserves. We're very much looking forward to how the future will unfold." ■ Im AGE COUR T ESY Of jER A LD WA L LISER

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