Mills Memorial Hospital Replacement - Terrace, BC

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Excited about the new hospital at the Terrace Trade Show

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The number one question we were asked at the Northern Health booth at the Terrace Trade Show this past weekend was, "Is the new hospital still set to open this year?" The answer is yes! The new hospital is set to open in late November 2024.
Eva Visscher, NH's Northwest Recruitment & Retention Ambassador, was at the booth chatting and answering questions all weekend, while Emily Leblond, MMH Director of Care, and Sarah Artis, MMH Replacement Project Liaison, each came for a few hours .
Throughout the two days of the trade show April 26 and 27, many people expressed delight at the new facility's floor plans, progress photos, the construction time lapse video and the video tour of the inside of the new hospital.
Northern Health booth at the Terrace and District Chamber of Commerce Trade Show.

Sarah Artis and Eva Visscher, giving the thumbs up, in front of a poster of the new hospital.
January 2024 - Quarterly Project Update

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Download a copy of the January 2024 Quarterly Project Update.
Note: images are included in the pdf version of the update.
WHERE WE’RE AT
Take a (virtual) tour of the new buildings!
Click on the video links below to check out progress inside the new hospital and the new Seven Sisters in Terrace. Learn more about the project and what staff have to say.
Note these videos are from fall 2023 so many areas of work are further along.
Recent milestones and activities
- Construction on all five floors, Levels 0 to 4, is almost 100% complete.
- Testing of major systems is ongoing – for example, air handling units, heat recovery chillers, heating boiler and the steam boiler.
- Equipment, furniture and millwork continue to be delivered and installed.
- Recruitment efforts, including social media campaigns, are ongoing. Check out the new Terrace and MMH recruitment video.
- Staff and physicians continue to prepare for moving into and operating the new hospital, for example, planning new workflows, coordinating training for new equipment and technology, deciding on priority items to move, and much more.
- We are getting ready to open in late 2024!
WHERE WE’RE GOING
New hands-free communications technology coming to MMH & Seven Sisters
This past month, more than 150 staff at Mills Memorial Hospital and Seven Sisters received training to use Vocera, a hands-free communications technology. The new system has staff wearing a small badge – on a lanyard or on their uniform – that enables them to communicate instantaneously with each other and staff in other Northern Health facilities which utilize the technology.
“The technology is meant to help make work easier for staff, to help save time,” said Darci Paice, the NH employee who facilitated the training. “Staff have been really engaged. Once they see all the features and benefits of the Vocera system, they get pretty excited.”
With the newer hospital being so much bigger, Vocera will allow staff to work together more effectively. Instead of relying on less direct communications techniques– for example, physically seeking someone out, paging them through the overhead call system, or phoning them and leaving a message - staff will be able to call each other immediately through the badges. And after pressing the button once to ‘wake’ the badge, all the communication is hands-free!
Vocera also integrates with regular telephone services, so users can place and receive regular phone calls with their badges. It will also integrate with the nurse call system at the hospital, so through their badges, staff will receive and be able to respond to alerts more easily.
MMH Medical Lab Technologist Brennan Bantle has used Vocera at previous work sites and is pleased it’s coming to MMH.
“It’s great, really helpful,” he said, “especially when fewer staff are on site, for example, on night shifts.”
By helping staff do their jobs more efficiently and effectively, the technology benefits patients too. A staff person who needs support with a patient can stay with the patient and call for help using the Vocera system, rather than leave the patient in search of help.
Staff will start using Vocera in early February.

HIGHLIGHT: THERAPEUTIC MULTI-SENSORY ROOMS
Mind and body therapy
Both the new Seven Sisters and the psychiatry department in the new Terrace hospital will feature a multi-sensory room. Multi-sensory rooms are therapeutic tools that are becoming increasingly important in supporting individuals experiencing mental health and substance use challenges.
Multi-sensory rooms have specialized sensory equipment and materials that help clients recognize and adapt their responses.
These types of rooms are particularly effective in mental health settings since they provide therapeutic interventions in a controlled setting. Research shows that multi-sensory rooms help empower individuals that use them, support emotional regulation, as well as decrease the use of restraints and seclusion in inpatient settings.
“We’ve wanted to incorporate multi-sensory rooms into client care for a long time,” said Brad Leier, NH Manager, Specialized Services. “With the extra space in new Seven Sisters and hospital, clients now have the chance to benefit from these calming and engaging spaces that are specially designed with their care needs in mind.”
Big thanks to the REM Lee Hospital Foundation who fundraised to help pay for the rooms!

FAQ: WHAT DOES A NEW HOSPITAL IN TERRACE MEAN FOR SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES?
When a community gains a new hospital, the entire region benefits.
Northern Health takes a regional approach to providing health care across Northern BC. The new hospital in Terrace will work in partnership with and complement other facilities in the region. A new Mills Memorial Hospital (MMH) will provide a foundation for services to grow in, and outreach programs to serve, surrounding communities. Learn more about how all of Northwest BC will benefit from a new hospital at by downloading the MMH regional benefits flyer.

YOUR MMH STORIES
Over the past 80 years, MMH has been part of many families’ stories – stories of joy, hope, change, and loss. As we look forward to the new hospital, we want to honour special moments that occurred at MMH. Here's some of stories we’ve received so far. The stories are truly special and we thank everyone who’s shared so far!
Lance Stevens - “I was a patient in the ICU and I remember the nurses. The were the sweetest most caring nurses ever. They were always understanding and compassionate regardless of uncomfortable, uncooperative incidents. I will be forever grateful for their dedication and the devotion they showed me. I am here today due to the MMH staff and I thank them.”
Chris Hansen - “I was president of the candy stripers in the early 1960s. I worked for the auxiliary and took tea and cookies to the patients.”
Fran Watson - “My niece Wanda was sick with cancer and another lady was there. I had a baby bear that my husband and I took care of. To cheer up some of the palliative care patients, we brought the baby bear into the hospital. The bear’s name was Echo. My daughter Bernadine, who was born in MMH, helped take care of Echo.”
Rani Parmar - “I started working at MMH in 1978. I worked in the kitchen as a cook. I was there for 20 years. I loved working there. The staff, the supervisor and the dietician were all great – friendly and fun! I miss that time.”
Carol Lomas - “In 1990, I had broken my leg. From my hospital room I could see the Bavarian Inn on fire. Wow. What a view!”
Heather Gurnsey - “I started working at MMH in September 1973 and retired in 2021! I worked in pediatrics and Halloween in the 1970s, we would dress the children up and take them trick or treating around the hospital. So much fun!”
Marilyn Ringdal - “I was doing my preceptorship in nursing at MMH in November 1989. I was told on day one that the elevator was temperamental and sometimes stopped short of the floor. Sure enough, on day one, the elevator doors opened about 3 feet short of the floor I was trying to get to. So nimble me scampered up with some difficulty, did a bit of a tuck and roll and got to my intended floor. I still laugh at what it must have looked like.”
Pete Nahirny - “When I was about 10 years old, Carl Pohle who had a mill on Keith Avenue, picked me up and I picked rocks for the hospital to make a lawn. Later, he hired me at his mill.”
Got a story to share? Go to Celebrating MMH through stories.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
A number of positions need to be filled at the current and future hospital ranging from clinical, support services, administration, and more! Get more info and a list of job opportunities at the new Terrace hospital and download a the MMH employment flyer.
Go to Northern Health Careers to search for current openings and positions for the existing and new hospital that are already posted.

Download a copy of the January 2024 Quarterly Project Update.
Celebrate MMH. Share your story!

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As part of the Terrace Festival of Trees, visitors put their stories on paper decorations and hung them on an 'MMH Story Tree'.
Let's celebrate MMH together through stories!
Help us honour the existing Mills Memorial Hospital in Terrace and all those who have worked and received care there.
Over the past 80 years, MMH has been part of many families’ stories – stories of joy, hope, change, and loss. As we look forward to the new hospital, we want to honour special moments that occurred at MMH.
Win a prize!
Names of all those who submit a story will be entered into a draw for ten $20 Tim Hortons gift cards!
The draw will be January 31, 2024. but we will continue to collect stories after this date.
How to submit
Share your story. Share a memory or what you will miss most. Share a sentence or a whole page. It's up to you.
- Email your ‘Celebrating MMH’ story to: letstalkmmh@northernhealth.ca
- Or download and fill out the submission form and drop it off at the Administration Office at the hospital.
Please include
1. First and last name*
2. Email
3. Phone number
4. Community you live in
5. If you are Northern Health staff
6. Photos (if you have some)
*Let us know if you don't want your name shared with your story, but we still need your first and last name, and contact info for our records.
Where will the stories be published?
Northern Health hopes to share these stories on various platforms, such as:
- Let’s Talk MMH
- MMH Replacement project updates (See sample update)
- Northern Health social media channels (Eg. NH Facebook)
- Printed project book (to be designed and published once project is complete)
By submitting a story and/or photos, you are giving Northern Health permission to share these.
We look forward to reading and sharing your stories, and celebrating the hospital together!
October 2023 - Quarterly Project Update

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Download a copy of the October 2023 Quarterly Project Update.
WHERE WE’RE AT
Recent milestones and activities
- In September, PCL achieved an impressive 1.5 million worker hours without a safety incident.
- Posters with project info and featured department floors plans were displayed for two weeks in the MMH basement and Skeena Mall in Terrace. Posters are also on Let’s Talk MMH.
- Majority of electrical panel installations are complete.
- Food services kitchen equipment was delivered and installed.
- Three of six elevators are complete and in use, with the final three expected to be done soon.
- 99% of the drywalling in the entire facility is complete.
- Site service road and new temporary parking lot in front of new Seven Sisters is now paved.
- Startups of major systems is ongoing – for example, air handling units, heat recovery chillers, heating boiler and the steam boiler.
- Infection control measures continue to be implemented on site - for example, boot cleaners at all entrances, daily cleaning of work areas, and use of HEPA filtered vacuums.
Inside progress photos
Food Services Level 0 (Basement)Laboratory Level 1 Cancer Care Level 1
Emergency Department Level 1Sample Washroom
WHERE WE’RE GOING
New hospital and new Seven Sisters to open in 2024

As the substantial completion dates for both the new Seven Sisters and the new Mills Memorial Hospital approach, the timelines for moving into the new facilities are becoming clearer.

What substantial completion means to us is that the building is complete, and Northern Health can occupy it. It does not mean the entire MMH Replacement Project is complete. The project, including parking and landscaping, is set to be complete in 2026.
- Substantial completion for the new Seven Sisters will occur in mid-January 2024. We anticipate moving into the new Seven Sisters in mid-February.
- Substantial completion for the new hospital is on track for September 19, 2024. We anticipate moving into the new hospital by the end of November.
In between the substantial completion and move in dates, staff and physicians will be oriented to the new buildings and prepare the new facilities for patient care. This includes ensuring all supplies are in place, and all systems and equipment are functioning properly, including those required to run the facility itself, and for patient care workflows and services.

HIGHLIGHT: EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

Download a copy of the Emergency Department poster.

HIGHLIGHT: INTERIOR COLOUR & MATERIALS PALETTE

Northern Health worked with an interior design consultant to create a safe, welcoming and positive environment for staff, physicians, patients and visitors.

Key considerations:
- Nature
- Northwest BC cultures
- Northwest BC communities
- Creation of calm, welcoming and comfortable environment
- Promotion of health, wellness and safety
- Department workflows and functions
- Health standards and infection control
- Long term maintenance, cost and availability of materials
- Prevention of triggers
CLOSER TO HOME CAMPAIGN UPDATE

Thank you to all the donors who continue to come forward to make the dream of bringing a higher level of care to mothers and newborns in Northwest BC a reality.

The Dr. R.E.M Lee Foundation’s ‘Closer to Home’ campaign is raising funds for a Tier 3 level Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and special care nursery at the new Mills Memorial Hospital.

Currently, MMH's level of neonatal and maternal services is Tier 2 and no facility in Northwest BC offers Tier 3 level services.
To learn more about and to donate to this important cause, go to remleehospitalfoundation.org or call the Foundation at 250-641-5526.
Check out project display Sept 18 - 29 in Skeena Mall

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Posters and project info on display is also online on Let's Talk MMH - as updates, and in the folder 'September 2023 MMH project display posters' under Documents, on the right side of the home page.
Got questions? Email: letstalkmmh@northernhealth.ca
September 2023 MMH project display posters

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Download an image of each of these posters in the Documents tab on the right hand side of the Let's Talk MMH home page.
Fun day the at farmers' market

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We had a great day at the farmers' market in Terrace this past weekend Thanks to everyone who stopped by for a chat!
We enjoyed talking to you all about working in health care, the new features and floor plans of the new hospital, and the importance of the Closer to Home campaign for Northwest BC families.
In the photo to the left, in front of the Northern Health booth, from left to right, are:
- Eva Visscher, Northwest Recruitment and Retention Ambassador, Northern Health
- Sarah Artis, Project Liaison for the Mills Memorial Hospital Replacement Project
- Heather Bellamy, Executive Director, Dr. R.E.M. Lee Hospital Foundation
Meet Northwest Recruitment and Retention Ambassador: Eva Visscher

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Here’s Eva biking in Deventer in The Netherlands, her home country. Eva Visscher is new to Kitimat and new to Northern Health. She joined the Northwest BC team in June 2023 as the Recruitment and Retention Ambassador for the region.
Learn a little bit about Eva and why she’s passionate about her new job and promoting careers in health care.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?
I’m originally from the Netherlands and I came to Canada in 2005. I graduated from the University of Alberta in 2019 with a degree in Political Science and German but struggled to find work that would allow me to use my degrees.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit I went back to school. I completed my certificate in Human Resources Management from the University of Alberta in March of 2023. In that same month, my partner and I packed up our lives in Edmonton and moved to Kitimat.
As for me, a few things I love are soccer, reading classic novels, and travelling. I recently travelled to Australia and New Zealand.
What are you most excited about your new role?
I’m excited to work with many different people and communities. I love that I’m working with different teams in the region on how to best support recruitment and retention activities.
What are you most excited about moving to and now living in Northwest BC?
When they aren’t working, Eva and her husband Adam enjoy cross country skiing at the Onion Lake Ski Trails between Terrace and Kitimat.
We were looking for a new adventure. We wanted to get out of the big city. We really wanted a change of scenery, to be closer to nature and spend more time outdoors. We have not been disappointed. This is such a beautiful part of British Columbia. I can’t believe I’m able to see mountains from my office window! We feel completely at home.
What are your plans to reach out and connect with community in your new role?
Building connections with local communities is very important to me. This position is still very new, so I want to make sure I’m very visible and available for our community members. I’m currently working on sending out introduction emails to various key stakeholders and community groups, and I’m hoping to begin in person visits shortly. In-person conversations can be so impactful and meaningful, so I really want to prioritize meeting with people in person as much as possible.
Why do you think a career in health care is worth pursuing?
Working in health care is so rewarding. You can really make a difference in someone’s life. You are supporting your community and supporting others in their journeys and empowering them. There’s also so many different options and so much opportunity to grow.
Reach out
If you are interested in a career at Northern Health in the Northwest, check out job postings on the NH Careers website.
If you see Eva in your community, make sure you to say hello, or email her at eva.visscher@northernhealth.ca.
Passing the torch
Brad Leier of Terrace initially started in the NW Recruitment and Retention Ambassador position in 2022 but moved into a different role at Northern Health. He is now the Manager of Northwest Specialized Services (Mental Health & Substance Use), Acute & Tertiary Care.
During her first week of work, Eva spent time learning the ropes from Brad. Their paths will continue to cross going forward too, as Eva helps recruit and retain employees for the new Terrace hospital and Seven Sisters, a facility that Brad manages.
June 2023 - Quarterly Project Update

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Download a pdf of the June 2023 Quarterly Project Update.

SUPPORT CARE CLOSER TO HOME
$2 million Newcrest donation kicks off REM Lee Foundation’s ‘Closer to Home’ campaign
A huge announcement took place in Terrace this month! On June 3, the Dr. R.E.M Lee Hospital Foundation in Terrace kicked off a major fundraising campaign with the announcement of a $2 million donation (the largest gift in the Foundation’s history!) from Newcrest Mining.
The campaign, titled ‘Closer to Home’, is focused on bringing a higher level of care to mothers and newborns in Northwest BC in the form of a Tier 3 level Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and special care nursery at the new Mills Memorial Hospital (MMH). Currently, MMH's level of neonatal and maternal services is Tier 2 and no facility in Northwest BC offers Tier 3 level services.
"Although not originally a part of the MMH rebuild, this is a once-in-ageneration opportunity" said Foundation Chair Ron Bartlett, a member of the Kitsumkalum nation.
Currently mothers and infants that need emergent care, must experience often stressful and weather-dependent medical evacuation to either Prince George (Tier 4) or Vancouver (Tier 6.) Having care closer to home means mothers and babies will be surrounded by people they need and their families less burdened by the financial and emotional costs of travel and long-term stays in unfamiliar settings.
Dr. Anita Adlam, a pediatrician responsible for acute pediatric care at MMH, said, "If newborns need anything more than rooming in with their mum, we just don't have the capacity to look after them, and we often end up sending patients out to other facilities.”
Big thanks to Newcrest Mining for being the first to contribute to this important project!
Go to remleehospitalfoundation.org or call the Foundation at 250-641-5526 for more info or to donate.

WHERE WE’RE AT
We are celebrating two years of construction!
Only a couple years ago the MMH construction site was an empty lot.

In May 2021, the MMH Construction Site had just been cleared of trees.

In May 2023, the exterior shell of the hospital is mainly complete and most of the work is happening inside the building

Recent construction milestones
- Canopies for the new hospital’s main entrance and emergency entrance on Tetrault Street are in place.
- Inside the new facility, more than 90% of the walls are framed, 65% are drywalled and 60% are taped.
- Millwork has begun.
- Flooring is complete in four departments.
- New Seven Sisters’ building envelope was completed in May 2023 and framing and drywalling has begun inside.
WHERE WE’RE GOING
Reducing environmental impact with LEED Gold
Despite the new hospital being more than double the size of the current building, it will still emit significantly less greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases produced per square foot in the new hospital will be at least 70% less than the current facility. And the total reduction in greenhouse gases, from the current facility to the new one, will be at least 40%.
Our aim is for the new Mills Memorial Hospital and Seven Sisters buildings to be high performance, environmentally responsible buildings that operate efficiently and provide a comfortable indoor environment for the occupants, promoting patient, visitor and staff wellness.
As part of this goal, the new Mills Memorial Hospital Replacement project is working towards, and well on its way, to achieving LEED gold status, the second highest LEED designation possible.
LEED stands for ‘Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design’ and is the most common and widely used green building certification in the world. LEED certification provides independent, third-party verification that a building project was designed and built, or operated, to achieve high performance in six areas of human and environmental health:
- location & transportation
- sustainable site development
- water savings
- energy efficiency
- materials selection
- indoor environmental quality
From the Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC) website, these six areas are:
“LEED helps owners and developers create high-performing, resilient buildings that reduce carbon emissions, save water, conserve energy and reduce waste. LEED also improves people’s quality of life by delivering the optimal conditions for health, comfort and productivity – such as better quality air and natural light,” according to CAGBC.
LEED requirements have advised many choices in the design of the new hospital and Seven Sisters – for example, lighting, waste management, construction materials, space allocation, number of exits and entrances and bike and electric vehicle stations, and more.
A facility’s power sources and systems are an especially major consideration in LEED. Northern Health analyzed and reviewed various alternatives for electrical and mechanical systems in the new hospital and Seven Sisters. Two major focuses included maximizing energy efficiency and minimizing ongoing costs throughout the lifecycle of the facilities.
The majority of the energy savings in the new Mills Memorial Hospital will come from recycling heat thanks to the new facility’s mechanical systems. Both the new facilities will have highly efficient, low-temperature heating systems. Heating will be primarily based on recovered heat from building exhaust, or simultaneously rejected cooling load. In peak winter conditions, the system will be supplemented with high-efficiency, condensing, gas-fired boilers.
The new facilities will also have a highly efficient cooling system. The system will use magnetic bearing chillers, the most efficient chillers on the market. These are frictionless compressor machines that do not require lubrication (oil); machines that require lubrication tend to degrade more quickly.

LEARN MORE
Go to letstalk.northernhealth.ca/mmh
Let’s Talk MMH is our one-stop shop for everything related to the Mills Memorial Hospital Replacement project. The site has regular project updates, a link to the construction camera and much more. It’s also where you can provide feedback and ask questions about the project.
Check out the construction cameras
Check out what the construction site looks like in real time on our two construction cameras. One camera is aimed at the new Mills Memorial Hospital and the other shows the new Seven Sisters site. The link to the cameras is on Let’s Talk MMH. You can download photos, videos an do all kinds of other cool stuff.
Email us at letstalkMMH@northernhealth.ca
Send us an email if you’ve got questions or feedback, or if want to receive email updates like this.
Cassie Hall students learn about health careers at new hospital

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Substitute teacher Dustin Quezada models some personal protective health care clothing.
Project Liaison Sarah Artis had the chance to teach some very enthusiastic Grade 3 and 4 students at Cassie Hall Elementary School last week about the many jobs that will be at the new Mills Memorial Hospital.
Part of the class curriculum this year is careers. As the school is located immediately next to the new Terrace hospital construction site, teacher Nancy Jay said it made sense for the kids to learn about jobs at the new facility.
Jay said the students have loved watching the hospital go up.
"The kids were super keen and had so many questions. It was really inspiring," said Sarah. "At the end of our hour together a lot of them spoke about jobs they could see themselves doing one day in the hospital."
So kids could get a sense of what it felt like to dress like some health care workers, Sarah brought an assortment of protective clothing and equipment for them to try out.
"Getting geared up was definitely the students’ favourite part of the presentation," Sarah said. "Dressed in hair nets and booties, wearing masks and gloves, a couple of them even yelled out 'This is the best day ever’."
With the hospital more than doubling in size there will be a significant increase in staff and many opportunities for people interested in careers in the health sector.
Northern Health is engaging in a variety of recruitment and retention strategies for the new Terrace hospital and the region as a whole.