Check out this memorandum just sent out from the CEO of Providence and compare it to the two media stories that came. Looks like the move to Station Street is hold for a few years and renewal on the Burrard site is the “new” priority for Providence Health Care, Vancouver Coastal Health and the Ministry of Health.

“Renewal of Providence Health Care’s sites is an intentional priority in PHC’s strategic directions and our Board and Senior Leadership Team are committed to continuing to work with our partners in the Ministry of Health Services and health authorities to forward our vision.

This week, various Vancouver media outlets have been interviewing the Minister of Health Services, Hon. Kevin Falcon, regarding potential future capital-investment options for St. Paul’s Hospital. Many of the questions have focused on which location any new capital investments should be made – the current St. Paul’s Hospital site or the Station Street site on Main Street and Terminal Avenue, a property that has been considered by Providence as a potential option for a new health care facility.

As I indicated in my Employee Forums earlier this year, for the past several months, PHC has been forwarding new concepts and ideas to the Ministry of Health Services for potential capital-investment into the hospital at the existing site. St. Paul’s Hospital has ongoing urgent needs for infrastructure upgrades, for additional space, for meeting the needs of continuing innovation and new models of care, for increasing the number of outpatient and ambulatory services to meet patient demands, and for expanding research and academic activities.

These needs are not unique to SPH as several hospitals across the province are facing similar challenges. At PHC, we are interested, as is the Ministry of Health Services, in always looking at new concepts and better ways of delivering care. Reviewing these ideas remains a priority for the ministry as it assesses the health demands from a province-wide perspective and develops its priorities for infrastructure investments.

Providence’s long-term vision is to completely renew St. Paul’s Hospital so it can continue to serve BC for the next hundred years and beyond. No decisions on the renewal of St. Paul’s Hospital have been finalized.

PHC and the Ministry of Health Services have continued our preliminary discussions regarding which ideas may be most worth pursuing from a health-delivery-improvement perspective. For example, one of our ideas is the concept of a new ambulatory care centre at the current St. Paul’s Hospital site.

We are cautiously optimistic that this dialogue will gain momentum and lead to more clarity regarding the best option for new investment to improve St. Paul’s Hospital. Serving British Columbians for over 115 years, and as one of two adult academic health sciences centers in BC, St. Paul’s Hospital is an integral part of the provincial health care system.

The Minister of Health Services’ commitment toward addressing the needs of Providence Health Care and St. Paul’s Hospital is exciting and is directly due to the positive reputation all of our caregivers, physicians, researchers, volunteers and leaders have helped to sustain. As we move forward in our planning with staff, physicians, community stakeholders, Vancouver Coastal Health and the Ministry of Health Services, we are committed to keeping all of you informed as discussions and plans evolve. I can’t thank all of you enough for your continued dedication and commitment toward delivering compassionate care to British Columbians.”

The Province

Straight Story

B.C. TO SEEK AND TREAT MOST VULNERABLE HIV PATIENTS
VANCOUVER A unique pilot program will get underway shrotly in Vancouver’s Eastside and Prince George to seek and treat vulnerable populations who are either undiagnosed or untreated for HIV.

The four-year, $48-million pilot called Seek and Treat is the first of its kind in Canada and believed to be the first internationally. It will expand access to HIV/AIDS medications among hard-to-reach populations, including sex trade workers, injection drug users and men who have sex with men. By reaching and engaging more British Columbians living with HIV/AIDS in Highly Active Anti-retroviral Therapy (HAART), not only will better care be provided but the treatmet will also significantly reduce or eliminate the virus’ ability to spread.
MHS Media Release