Province Announces New Long-Term Care Facility in the Regional District of Nanaimo
Posted in: News Item
Date Posted: 2023-10-20
Organization Name: Regional District of Nanaimo
Location: Nanaimo
The Nanaimo Regional Hospital District (NRHD) Board would like to thank the Province of British Columbia for approving the construction of a new long-term care facility in the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN). The capital cost of the project is $285.76 million. Island Health will build, own and operate the facility. The Nanaimo Regional Hospital District is contributing $114.3 million to the project. Our region has a significant shortage of long-term care beds. As a result of long waitlists, people who would be better cared for in specialized facilities designed to meet complex care needs are placed in acute care beds at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital (NRGH).
The new facility is a critical component of the continuum of healthcare and will bring more much-needed long-term care beds to the region. Local seniors will be able to age with appropriate care and dignity in or near their home communities, and hospital beds will become available for other patient needs.
“By working together with multiple partners and investing in capital projects, we are improving access to healthcare services for residents of all ages in our region,” said Ian Thorpe, NRHD Chair. “We appreciate the Province’s investment in a long-term care home that will improve the quality of care, health outcomes and experiences for seniors and their families and help address capacity issues at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital.”
The NRHD continues to advocate for other major capital healthcare projects that are urgently needed for the Central and North Island including a new patient tower replacement and a cardiac catheterization lab, all to be located at NRGH. Approval of the NRHD’s other priority projects, a new High Acuity Unit at NRGH, was announced by the Province in late March and approval of the concept plan for Nanaimo cancer center was announced in May 2023.
Collectively, these interrelated healthcare projects will address the critical shortage of appropriate healthcare facilities and specialized services necessary to meet the medical needs of Central and North Island residents.
For more information on the priority projects and the Nanaimo Regional Hospital District, visit getinvolved.rdn.ca/nrhd.