The region’s new health facility may not be open for patient care until January 30, 2011but that hasn’t stopped officials from celebrating the milestone.
The region’s new health facility may not be open for patient care until January 30, 2011but that hasn’t stopped officials from celebrating the milestone.
Officials hosted an Open House Saturday that included a ribbon cutting ceremony that included Minister of Health, Deb Matthews, Nipissing MPP Monique Smith and Nipissing-Temeskaming MP Anthony Rota.
The day offered the opportunity for the public to take self-guided tours of the 750,000 square foot facility, including the operating rooms, diagnostic imaging, the Women and Children’s Centre and mental health lodges. Folks were also treated to sleigh rides, a teddy bear clinic and information on programs and services that will be offered once the building is fully operational.
Complete details in the Infrastructure Ontario news release below.
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The Honourable Monique Smith, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and MPP for Nipissing and the Honourable Deb Matthews, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care joined North Bay General Hospital and Northeast Mental Health Centre officials and staff today to officially welcome the community to the North Bay Regional Health Centre.
The celebration today was an opportunity for the hundreds of people who worked on this project for years to celebrate the completion of the project.
Visitors to the new 750,000 square foot Health Centre took part in a ribbon cutting ceremony with the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, Deb Matthews and local MPP the Honourable Monique Smith. Though the Health Centre will not be open to patients until the end of January, visitors were welcome to take self-guided tours of areas they may never see once the hospital is operational such as operating rooms, diagnostic imaging, the Women and Children’s Centre and mental health lodges. Community members also learned about the programs and services that will be offered to patients beginning on January 30, 2011.
The North Bay Regional Health Centre is the first health facility in Canada to co-locate an acute care hospital and a specialized mental health centre. The new district hospital will include up to 275 acute care beds and will feature an expanded emergency department and a consolidated ambulatory care centre.
The new regional mental health centre will accommodate 52 forensic psychiatry beds, 61 specialized mental health beds and associated outpatient services. In total, the North Bay Regional Health Centre will have capacity for up to 388 beds.
The new facility was designed and constructed to achieve the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) certification. LEED buildings promote healthy indoor environments by incorporating environmentally sustainable construction practices and energy efficient design.
As one of the first Alternative Financing and Procurement hospital projects in the province, construction on the North Bay Regional Health Centre began in March 2007 and the facility was completed on time and on budget in June 2010. Following completion, hospital led small works projects began involving any changes to enhance operational efficiency, performance testing to make the building patient ready, installation of new equipment and training of over 2300 staff and volunteers.
Infrastructure Ontario and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care worked with the North Bay General Hospital and the Northeast Mental Health Centre to manage the construction of the North Bay Regional Health Centre, which will remain publicly owned, publicly controlled and publicly accountable.
Infrastructure Ontario is a Crown corporation dedicated to delivering some of the province’s larger and more complex infrastructure renewal projects - ensuring they are built on time and on budget; as well, it is dedicated to providing the public sector and not-for-profit organizations with long-term financing to renew their infrastructure.
Visit www.infrastructureontario.ca and www.nbrhc.on.ca for more information.
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