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• FAQ: What about labour and delivery at the new hospital?

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  Good question. Labour and delivery are major life events, and for many individuals and families this is a time of pregnancy with lots of uncertainty. Gathering tiny shirts and socks, finding a car seat or someone to watch the other kids are are some of the necessary preparations for a new baby, and for many families in Northern BC, travel is a factor that must be taken into account as well. This will continue to be the case for families and individuals in the Stuart Lake area.

  For folks in Fort St. James and the surrounding communities, deciding to have a baby in the Stuart Lake Hospital wasn't an option since the hospital couldn't accommodate labour and delivery complications. Although a labour and delivery room will be part of the new hospital, these are to accommodate emergency and unexpected deliveries, where transportation to Vanderhoof or Prince George is not possible.

  For those of us living in this area, Vanderhoof's St. John's Hospital and UHNBC's Maternity Care Unit will continue to be where we labour and deliver. While traveling from home to give birth is not ideal for some, knowing the diversion hospitals are there and ready for you is some comfort.

  Thank you for your questions, and please keep them coming. We want to hear from you.

• Helipad Closed for Construction

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  On May 1, 2022, the Stuart Lake Hospital helipad will be closed while the new hospital is built. This is because construction can’t safely take place with the helipad in operation. So, the helipad at the hospital will be decommissioned for the duration, and the helipad at the airport will be used for helicopter landings and patient transport during this time. The airport is 7.8km, roughly 9 minutes, from the hospital.

  

  The hospital helipad will reopen once construction finishes. And even better, safety upgrades to the helipad will take place during construction. These upgrades will include fencing, signage, re-location of the wind-sock, painting, and new spotlights.

  If you're wondering whether involving ambulances in transporting folks to the helipad is an extra step, you'll be interested to know that whether the helipad is at the airport or on the hospital site, BC Ambulance Services are involved in transporting the patient to the aircraft.

  You might also be interested to know that the helipad at the airport is used three times more often to move patients to and from the Stuart Lake Hospital than the helipad at the hospital. BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) determines which of the two helipads to use depending on circumstances, availability of ambulance cars, and weather conditions. During the hospital construction and the hospital helipad closure, BCEHS staff won't find it procedurally unusual to use the airport helipad.

  We appreciate your patience and understanding as we take this necessary step to allow for the new, much needed, Stuart Lake Hospital to be built. If you have any questions, please reach out! You can contact us at LetsTalkSLH@northernhealth.ca.