Health and Wellness Minister Randy Delorey announced that the Cape Breton Regional Hospital is getting a new emergency department, critical care department, and cancer centre as part of a major expansion. The expansion is part of the CBRM Health Care Redevelopment Project and will transform the way health care is delivered, improving access to care and creating more reliable, sustainable services.
“This is an exciting next phase in a major transformation of health care in Cape Breton,” said Delorey. “These changes will help ensure Cape Bretoners have access to quality care in modern, state-of-the-art facilities for generations to come.”
All three services will be part of the new 190,000 square foot building to be constructed at the back of the Cape Breton Regional Hospital. It will be connected to the existing hospital building via pedway.
A request for proposals for design services will be issued this week.
“This is an opportunity to do things differently and make significant improvements in how we deliver care to patients,” said Dr. Kevin Orrell, senior medical director for the CBRM Health Care Redevelopment Project. “This work will expand services and improve access to health care, while also providing modern facilities that are so vital in recruiting efforts.”
The new emergency department will be twice as large as the current one, with more exam and patient rooms, as well as teaching and education space for staff and students.
The new critical care department will more than triple in size and have the intensive care, coronary care and intermediate care units all under one roof. There will also be more patient rooms and new family and support spaces.
The Cape Breton Cancer Centre is now serving more than double the patients it was built for in 1998. The new centre will more than double in size, with twice as many chemotherapy seats and new space for counselling and group sessions.
Government recently approved $8.1 million for the redevelopment project, which will go toward completing the early design phase. More funding will be approved as the project moves forward.
The CBRM Health Care Redevelopment Project also includes:
- Renovating and revitalizing the Glace Bay Hospital emergency department;
- building new, modern community health centres and new long-term care facilities, in North Sydney and New Waterford, to replace the New Waterford Consolidated and Northside General hospitals;
- a new Community-Based Paramedic Program in Cape Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM) where paramedics and telecare nurses provide care after a patient is released from hospital – reducing return trips to the emergency department, this program began rolling out at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital emergency department in December; and
- building a new laundry centre in North Sydney to replace aging equipment and to continue to serve health care facilities in CBRM.
For more information about the project, visit https://healthredevelopment.novascotia.ca/cbrmhealth.
