Kelowna & Vernon Hospitals Project
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the official magazine of the canadian coalition for green health care Spring 2011 Kelowna & Vernon Hospitals Project • Intelligent Building Technologies • Making Your Hospital Green: A Success Story cover story The Kelowna & VernonBy Lilliane Fiola Hospitals Project Bringing together existing programs in a more efficient facility built for future expansion 14 canadian journal of green health care xpanding health services to meet increasing demands in the Okanagan Valley and delivering enhanced Epatient care were at the heart of a public- private partnership (P3) project between the Infusion Health consortium and the Interior Health Authority of British Columbia, which began May 2007. Due for completion in summer 2011, The Kelowna and Vernon Hospitals Project integrates outpatient and day care services at both Kelowna General Hospital (KGH) and Vernon Jubilee Hospital (VJH), helping to improve the efficiency and coordination of care for patients, thus improving patient experience. The single project management structure, overseen by Graham Group—experts in design, construction management, scheduling and contracts—includes KGH’s new 360,000 square foot Centennial Tower, an ambulatory care tower that quadruples the size of their emergency department, and a 35,000 square foot clinical academic campus for the University of British Columbia (UBC) Medical School. Also part of the project is the new eight-storey, 230,000 square foot diagnostic and treatment building at VJH, called Polson Tower. The $140 million patient care tower is fully integrated with the existing hospital and contains a new ambulance garage. It also houses consolidated and centralized operating rooms, as well as emergency, maternity, paediatric, surgery, ICU, cardiac, and ambulatory care departments. Project Director Dave Corcoran says the three projects are built to LEED® Gold standards. The use of highly reflective roofing materials, daylighting, storm water retention systems, and energy-efficient equipment are just some of the many ways the project team intends to achieve the coveted “green” certification. They were also able to reduce potable water consumption by 30 per cent through the use of low-flow By Lilliane Fiola water fixtures. This helped to ensure a total energy savings of 38 per cent for the buildings, which surpasses that of a similar building built to Model National Energy Code for Buildings (MNECB) standards. Using fly ash in the concrete assures high- recycled content and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, 22 per cent of the building materials are recycled, and 75 per cent of construction waste is being diverted from landfills. spring 2011 15 coverdepartment story Two of many multi-meters that are installed at Kelowna Ambulatory Care Centre to permit ease of monitoring the 130 electrical sub-meter points integrated in the building automation system MiniCloset5c multi-meter A critical component of a P3 is plant which allows for up to 24 circuits to be The expansion includes a modernized maintenance because it ensures the private monitored by one meter.” These meters emergency department with high visibility partner’s accountability for building to the communicate with the building automation ground-level access, consolidated and highest quality standards and the mechanical system through BACNet. Stantec, the centralized operating rooms, more systems will likewise perform to the same project’s measurement and verification efficient central sterilization services, and a high level for the life of the buildings. consultants, will use the meter data to maternity/paediatrics ward that is directly KGH’s project team has also applied for continuously track and optimize the linked to operating rooms. Two shelled-in the LEED Measurement and Verification hospital’s energy performance. floors for future capacity were added after Credit. They have installed numerous Graham Group had plenty of previous the original announcement, necessitating mechanical meters and over 130 electrical experience with LEED projects, says the phasing of construction. Also, the sub-meter points, supplied by QMC Corcoran, but they had not done a project of overall size of the VJH project increased by Metering Solutions. QMC’s Sales Manager this scale before. However, past experience 50,000 square feet from what was originally Mike Easton says, “The cost for the sub- and having a LEED-accredited staff member planned, and additional equipment came meter system was significantly reduced onboard to monitor LEED performance to over $50 million. Further, there is now through the use of multi-meter technology, helped them avoid pitfalls. a separate day procedure (outpatient) 16 canadian journal of green health care The Kelowna and Vernon Hospital Project is a public-private partnership between Infusion Health and the Interior Health Authority of British Columbia. Construction at Kelowna General Hospital and Vernon Jubilee Hospital is due to be completed Summer 2011. entrance from the upper parking lot as well physicians, and the Graham Construction as a new expanded outpatient program. crews, adverse impacts on patients were At the time of writing, Infusion Health was minimized. It is interesting to note that the only two weeks away from handing Interior integrity of 24/7 patient care operations Health the keys to the new VJH Patient Care were maintained at both sites throughout Tower. Both Infusion Health and Interior construction. This integrated work Health have been conducting reviews to schedule was another reason for phasing of ensure that everything is built to the specified construction, ensuring that existing facilities high standards of the P3 contract. remained fully functional, efficient, and safe. Infusion Health constructed the new Interior finishing is nearing completion, facilities and will be responsible for including millwork, flooring, and painting, preserving the integrity of the structures for and major medical equipment such as the next 30 years. They will manage plant operating room and exam room lights, and maintenance across both sites, providing operating room booms have been installed, a seamless integration of systems at both as has the equipment for the Medical Device old and new facilities. Besides integrated Reprocessing department. and consistent services, a single help desk Commissioning of mechanical and for plant maintenance services and a single electrical systems, as well as that of the set of operational policies across the sites, computer and technology systems is all and between the sites, are in place. There in progress. And the rapid sharing of is clarity of accountability for systems and test results and information between services, such as the fire alarm system, nurse departments will be provided through a call system, and pipe work that are present pneumatic tube system that will be linked throughout all the buildings. from the new tower to the existing building. The public face of the tower is presently To ease the transition, staff and physicians visible, as is the main public entrance with who will be working in the new tower have its timber frame canopy support, and the been provided with weekly tours to help entrance to the new Emergency Department familiarize themselves with the new spaces has been completed. Walkways linking the and processes. structures on the second and third floors are Installation of equipment will continue also finished. throughout the summer, as well as orientation The summer of 2010 saw the project of all staff, physicians and volunteers. The first team struggling over the complexity of this patient is due to walk through the door on work, particularly in and around patient September 26, and extensive training of staff areas. But thanks to the commitment and will ensure that there will be no noticeable perseverance of Interior Health‘s staff and difference in patient care. spring 2011 17 .