People in Prince George will benefit from public healthcare in a modern medical setting, as the Province has approved the concept plan for a new patient care tower, including a new cardiac care unit, at University Hospital of Northern British Columbia (UHNBC).
“UHNBC has needed redevelopment for years and in my visits to the community I have personally seen how out-of-date the current facility is,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “Today’s action speaks to the future - in particular the ability to deliver improved cardiac care services in the North. This has been a goal for a long time and I am proud to be part of making it happen. Congratulations to the Northern Health Authority, the Prince George community and the entire region for this breakthrough."
The current hospital is outdated and too small to safely accommodate the needs of a growing and aging regional population. Local leaders have specifically identified cardiac care as an important service gap for a new facility to address.
Northern Health submitted a concept plan to the provincial government in December 2017, which was amended in February 2020. Treasury Board approved that concept plan – securing funding for the project in the government’s 10-year capital plan.
The business plan phase will now get underway and will finalize details, such as scope of the new facility and budget. This includes providing details for a variety of acute care services for the facility, including new mental health, surgical and cardiac units. This stage takes approximately 12 to 18 months. Upon approval of the business plan, the project will proceed to procurement, then construction.
This announcement builds on government’s investments in the North, including new and expanded hospitals in Terrace, Fort St. James, Dawson Creek and Quesnel, delivering public health-care in state-of-the art centres.
UHNBC was built in 1958 and was originally called Prince George Regional Hospital. Additions were completed in 1978 and 2003. There are 10 additional buildings that make up the 216-bed UHNBC site.