The Penticton Regional Hospital鈥檚 new David E. Kampe Tower officially opened its doors on Monday.
鈥淚t feels lived in on day one,鈥� said Carl Meadows, Acute Health Service administrator with the hospital on Monday afternoon.
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鈥淚 was expecting a little more chaos so I think it is absolutely fantastic. It鈥檚 just great to see everyone so happy at such a great venue.鈥�
On Sunday, staff and volunteers all helped more than 70 patients move into the new location, he said, and everything ran smoothly.
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鈥淭his has been a 10-year-in-the-making project so everybody knew what to do, and our volunteers are helping people with way-finding, so it really has gone miraculously well,鈥� he said.
It鈥檚 moving day at the at Regional Hospital and our first patient in the is Doug Howard. Welcome to your new digs Doug!
鈥� Building Patient Care (@IH_Projects)
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The six-storey tower has 84 single-patient rooms, five new surgical rooms, satellite medial imaging, a rooftop helipad and 480 parking stalls, all of which are ready to take patients.
Meadows said, so far, the doctors, nurses and patients seem happy with the new hospital.
鈥淚t鈥檚 first-class, right? It鈥檚 only single-patient rooms, which is better for infection control and privacy. It鈥檚 a win-win all around. They鈥檙e just thrilled.鈥�
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Pati Hill, a former PRH patient who is now a volunteer with the Patient Voices Network, called the David E. Kampe Tower a 鈥榯owering achievement.鈥�
鈥淓veryone who has participated in bringing this project through to today deserves a pat on the head,鈥� she said.
鈥淚t allows the staff more room and more technology to make enhancements to patient care. The single-occupancy rooms give patients privacy to heal and to receive the support from their families and friends.鈥�
For phase two of the new tower, renovations to the emergency department will begin in May or June, said Meadows.
鈥淲hen you walk into that emergency entrance that whole area is going to be patient care areas for waiting, more comforts where there is more breathing room, more confidentiality, and better streaming to make sure the right patients get to the right service,鈥� he said.
