A new and expanded Day Surgery Unit has officially opened at the Saanich Peninsula Hospital (SPH) as of Monday, April 26.
At 10:00 a.m. on Monday, hospital staff celebrated the new facility with an opening ceremony, bringing in local First Nations elders May Sam, Patti Underwood and Barb Henry to conduct a blessing ono the unit.
According to the hospital, the expanded Day Surgery Unit will “improve patient experience” at SPH by increasing access to medical daycare and supporting the delivery of surgeries for people accessing care close to home.
The unit includes features such as a waiting room, lockers for an individual’s belongings, change rooms, more storage for medical supplies and expanded space to handle an increased amount of patients and hospital staff.
The cost of the project totalled $3.5 million, which was covered entirely by contributions from donors in the community.
“We are grateful for the ongoing support of the Saanich Peninsula Hospital and Healthcare Foundation and the many donors who supported this project and so many other projects,” says Leah Hollins, Island Health Board Chair. “The expanded Day Surgery Unit will improve patient experience by increasing access to medical daycare and supporting the delivery of surgeries for people accessing care close to home in what is truly a community hospital.”
This project, which is now completed, has been in development for five years. The hospital says the new facility will assist staff to care for patients in an area of the hospital that has grown in importance.
“As surgical techniques advance and surgeons increase the use of laparoscopic techniques, more and more surgeries can be done as day surgery. This modernization will further improve access for patients requiring medical, surgical and endoscopic care, and by consolidating activity in one part of the hospital, we will be able to increase our efficiency,” said Jessica Johnson, Director, Saanich Peninsula and the Gulf Islands.
A virtual tour of the new facility can be seen below.
Graham Cox
