Prince Rupert residents now have access to a modernized emergency department, following the $16.5-million upgrade to Prince Rupert Regional Hospital.
The new space officially opened Sept. 19 and includes a larger trauma and triage area, improved high-acuity rooms with better privacy and infection-control measures, and a new registration area designed to improve patient flow.
The project was funded with $9.9 million from the province and $6.6 million from the North West Regional Hospital District, a local government body that partners with Northern Health on major health-care projects across the region. Barry Pages, chair of the hospital district and a Village of Masset councillor, said, “The North West Regional Hospital District supports the investment of a new, modern emergency department at the Prince Rupert Hospital to ensure that residents of the north coast get the best services possible and that the working conditions for employees of the hospital are safe and modern.”
Colleen Nyce, chair of the Northern Health board, said she is pleased to welcome staff, physicians and patients into the improved department, adding, “This new space will help to ensure that those living in Prince Rupert have access to high-quality care in a new, state-of-the-art department.”
Minister of Infrastructure Bowinn Ma said the redevelopment is a major step forward in providing better care. “This state-of-the-art emergency department is a major step forward in delivering high-quality emergency care and creating better working conditions for staff. With expanded trauma and triage areas and design improvements that support patient flow and privacy, we’re investing in the health-care facilities that communities need,” she said.
Prince Rupert Regional Hospital first opened in 1971 and now serves more than 30,000 residents on the north coast, including surrounding municipalities, First Nations communities and Haida Gwaii. It averages 43 emergency patients a day, or about 16,000 visits each year.
North Coast–Haida Gwaii MLA Tamara Davidson said the investment will make a lasting difference in people’s lives. “Emergency care is essential for families in our region, providing life-saving treatment when it’s needed most, close to home,” she said. “The new emergency department will improve access to critical health services, ensure residents receive the care they deserve and attract new doctors and health-care staff to the area.”
Health officials said the upgrades will not only improve patient care but also support recruitment and retention of medical professionals in the region.
