Providence Health Care hosts consultations to identify local needs

The B.C. Catholic



After operating on Burrard Street in downtown Vancouver for 120 years, St. Paul’s Hospital is getting ready to move.

In advance of shovels going into the ground at the new location on Station Street, though, Providence Health Care is asking for input.

“We could have said we’re going to rebuild St. Paul’s Hospital,” with the same services, equipment, and number of beds, said CEO Dianne Doyle.

“We could say, ‘Let’s take all of that, plunk it down on a new site, in new buildings, and everything’s going to be great.’ We could have done that, but it wouldn’t make much sense.”

Instead, PHC wants to hear from members of the public about what they need from the new hospital, estimated to cost $1 billion and be built by 2023.

“We’ve talked to our physician experts, we’ve talked to other people who provide care and services, and we’ve talked to experts around the world, but we also want to understand the people in the West End and the Downtown Eastside. We’re their local hospital. What do they want?”

A series of consultations are being held Feb. 16 – March 10. The first two consultations each attracted 60 to 70 people.

In 2015 consultations, the PHC heard locals’ concerns about accessibility and continued access to emergency, HIV/AIDS, pre-natal, geriatric, cardiac, mental health, primary care, and home-care services.

“The forums are really important, because I don’t think anything takes the place of dialogue between small groups of individuals.”

PHC spokesman Shaf Hussain said, “It’s good to set that expectation of transparency and being open, because that’s what people want.”

He added that depending on the need of the area, there is a chance some medical services will be offered on the old site.

PHC is one of the country’s largest Catholic health-care organizations. It runs St. Paul’s Hospital, which logs more than 80,000 emergency department visits, 1,600 births, 910 open-heart surgeries, 130 kidney transplants, and 16 heart transplants per year.

Doyle said those who wish to learn more about the project to rebuild St. Paul’s or to give feedback can visit www.thenewstpauls.ca.

“It’s an invitation: please come and share your concerns! Hopefully people will have great, innovative ideas.”