Patient care in three priority areas at Burnaby Hospital will be fast-tracked within the next three years, due to a capital investment of $5.5 million from Fraser Health, the health organization announced Monday.
Fraser Health will put the funds towards renovation and upgrade projects at the hospital, including a separate "super-track" area in the emergency department for non-urgent patient care, increased access to, and shorter wait times for endoscopies, and an upgraded sterile processing department for surgical equipment.
Renovations of the supertrack and endoscopy units will take 18 months, and upgrades of the sterilization unit will be completed within the next three years, according to a press release from Fraser Health.
"Fraser Health is committed to the growth and expansion of services and capacity at Burnaby Hospital. Given Burnaby's central location and population growth, Burnaby Hospital plays an important role in our network of acute care hospitals," said Burnaby Hospital executive director Cathie Heritage, in the release.
Burnaby Hospital's ER is the third-busiest in B.C., with more than 70,000 patient visits per year, according to Fraser Health.
The organization estimates that by 2020, the Burnaby Hospital sterilization unit will process equipment for more than 16,500 surgeries and procedures per year.
In February 2012, Fraser Health drafted a 10-year planning process for Burnaby Hospital that involved hospital physicians, staff and regional clinical stakeholders.
The Burnaby Hospital High Level Master Plan is a decision-making guide for clinical services and the physical expansion and improvement of the hospital over the next decade.
As part of this planning process, the three projects listed above were identified as most important in the short-term to improve patient care and safety.
