When it comes to what’s important to people in Richmond, we know our community is united. Richmond needs a new Acute Care Tower and is speaking out, loud and clear. It’s been in the media, it was the top issue for local candidates in the spring provincial election, and it is an election promise made by the Premier. It’s also a matter of great urgency. At more than half a century old, the original hospital tower is unsafe, obsolete and unable to meet the health care needs of our growing community.
This week, the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services, an all-party committee of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, concluded province-wide public consultations and sought submissions from British Columbians to help determine funding priorities for the 2018 provincial budget. We wish to thank the many concerned Richmond residents, community leaders, and numerous community, business and seniors’ organizations who wrote the Committee about Richmond’s highest priority: a new Acute Care Tower for Richmond Hospital.
We also want to thank the numerous health care professionals who made written submissions, including Dr. BrendaWagner, who is the Senior Medical Director at Richmond Hospital. Dr.Wagner is a passionate advocate for a new Acute Care Tower and speaks on behalf of her medical colleagues here at Richmond Hospital: “Since the time I first began working at Richmond Hospital as an obstetrician/gynecologist more than 20 years ago, a replacement for the original aging North tower has been talked about. Two decades later, there still is no commitment or funding to replace it and build a new Acute Care Tower.
We have known for many years a new Acute Care Tower is needed to provide the right health care for our population. It is no understatement to say our medical and surgical staff are disappointed over the lack of inaction. Hospital bricks and mortar help drive patient care and improve outcomes, but the original hospital tower cannot meet the needs of our booming population, most notably our exploding populations of seniors who will place enormous demands on our already strained local health care. Our spaces at the hospital are so small and our hallways are often full of patients, their families and our staff. We also do not have the ability to keep patient rooms and spaces quiet. The number one thing that patients complain about is the noise and inability to sleep.We all know when patients have just had surgery how important it is to have good quality sleep.
As physicians and surgeons, we want to be able to work in a hospital that allows us to provide more and better care than we ever imagined. A new Acute Care Tower at Richmond Hospital will transform care at Richmond Hospital, and we can finally unleash the innovation and new ideas that will allow our incredibly talented team to provide the highest level of care they envision but are currently prevented from providing.
We call on the Provincial Government to fund a new Acute Care Tower now. Please help us make better patient care possible.”
