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April 2024 - Quarterly Project Update
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Download the April 2024 Quarterly Project Update.
Note: images are included in the pdf version of the update.WHERE WE’RE AT
Hospital construction completion is ahead of schedule!
Originally scheduled for end of September 2024, substantial completion of the new hospital – when Northern Health takes ownership of the new building – is now set for end of August. Staff now have three months to get oriented and trained in the new facility, and prepare for patient care.
Check out the new MMH construction timelapse video!
Project milestones
- New Seven Sisters is now open
- New hospital set to open late November this year
- Boilers are operating; oxygen tank is full
- Deficiency tests, compliance inspections and systems commissioning happening throughout new hospital
- Various new positions have been filled and significant efforts to recruit more physicians and staff continue
Residents and staff settling into new Seven Sisters
Staff and residents successfully moved into the new Seven Sisters, spending their first night there on February 6. Seven Sisters is a regional mental-health facility that provides long-term rehabilitation and recovery programs for adults living with serious and persistent mental illness.
The new Seven Sisters, which is part of the MMH Replacement project, is nearly twice as big as the previous one and has 25 patient beds, an increase from 20. Along with new, modern furniture and equipment, staff and patients will benefit from many new features, including a multi-sensory room, various recreational spaces, more treatment rooms, and staff and meeting spaces.
Check out the new Seven Sisters construction timelapse video!
WHERE WE’RE GOING
Preparing for the big move and future operations
We are getting ready to open the new hospital at the end of November 2024, just a few months away!
To ensure a smooth move and operations, many details need to be in place. All hands are on deck, working hard to ensure the transition to the new hospital is as positive and comfortable an experience as possible for all patients and staff.
Planning for the actual physical move is underway. We are working closely with Health Care Relocations (HCR), a company that specializes in healthcare facility transitions. The company will support with operational readiness, the physical move between the facilities, and the activation of the new hospital.
MMH managers will be meeting individually with company representatives to discuss department-specific details. For example, some departments will have equipment that requires the help of a vendor. Items from the hospital can be moved in various phases. The goal is to move as few items as possible when patients are moved.
For a hospital the size of MMH, the move will likely be completed within one week and the actual patient move in one day. To help with the transition, and with the support of regional staff and other hospitals, we will aim to reduce activity and patient levels at MMH leading up to the move. Stay tuned for more info as we continue to get ready!
Walk this way – on our new pathways
PCL is preparing the ground in front of the new hospital’s main entrance on Tetrault Street for sidewalks, landscaping and paving. Some sidewalks and pathways have already been installed on the west and south side of the new hospital, and more are underway. These need to be in place for the hospital to open.
Some areas will be landscaped later this year, but most landscaping work will happen in 2025 and 2026, after the demolition of the current hospital.
HIGHLIGHTS: WAYFINDING KIOSK, VIRTUAL SKYLIGHTS
Two examples of technology aimed at enhancing the patient experience in the new Terrace hospital include a wayfinding kiosk and virtual skylights.
Patients and visitors will need help getting around the significantly larger new hospital. Much thought has been put into the wayfinding system for the new site. One interactive piece of that system is an electronic wayfinding kiosk in the main lobby. The kiosk will have a touch screen, similar to those found in many airports and shopping malls. The kiosk will help orient people to the building and get them where they want to go.
Another example of technology in the new facility that will benefit patients and staff is virtual skylights in the Spect-CT room and in the MRI room.
"It's basically a large light box above where patients lie down on the scan table. A nature image and the light let them imagine they are looking out a window or skylight,” says Marina Downs, Diagnostic Imaging Manager at MMH. “The idea is to create a more soothing environment in one that can often feel cold and sterile. The skylights will help patients feel more relaxed. In turn, they are more likely to hold still during their exams.”
CELEBRATING MMH THROUGH 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. Check out the next page to read some of stories we’ve received so far. The stories are truly special and we thank everyone who’s shared so far!
We want to hear your story!
Help us honour the existing Mills Memorial Hospital in Terrace and all those who have worked and received care there. Go to Let’s Talk MMH to learn more. Download a story submission form.
YOUR MMH STORIES…
Vi Timmerman“My introduction to Terrace was Dr. REM Lee. We arrived the summer of 1969 and I needed gallbladder surgery. I was told by my Doctor in Langley that “the best doctor in the province is in Terrace." He really was an excellent doctor.
Several years later Dr. Kenyon saved a family member’s life. We’ll always be grateful to him and our community is fortunate to have him.
Three of my grandchildren and four great grandchildren were all born at Mills Memorial Hospital. We have always received excellent care and wish the best of luck to all the staff.”
Birgitta van Heek
“I have never forgotten the year Mills Memorial Hospital opened – 1961. I was in Grade 7 at the time and played in the Skeena Secondary Band at the official opening. My classmate Lorne King and I lived on the bench and would travel to practices together…. dressed that day in our Skeena colours...silky satin purple and gold uniforms!
I played the trumpet – at least attempted to. I am not musical at all and not sure how I qualified to be in the band! That was the only time I remember performing and my musical career ended shortly thereafter but I will never forget that memorable event.”
Alexi Rivera
“In 1989 I lived in Rosswood. I had very bad asthma and got sick quite often. This particular time I got pneumonia and was really sick.
I spent three weeks in the children’s ward. I turned 13 in the hospital and for my birthday, the nurses bought me a cake. The nurses were amazing and caring the whole time.
I lived with my grandparents. As we lived in Rosswood, my Grandma wasn’t always able to come visit – definitely not every day – but the nurses made me feel the love I was missing.
The nurses were also good with letting my friends come to see me. I went to school at Cassie Hall (across the street) so my friends would come to see me after school sometimes. Of course, kids being kids, we could get noisy but the nurses were pretty chill about it. The old Mills will always be in my memory because of this experience.”
Cameron Orr
“We needed to arrange the birth of our second child in Terrace rather than in Kitimat, where we live. We'd come to the hospital many times leading up to the birth day, and the day of was wonderful. We even took a walk at Ferry Island before heading to the hospital for the evening. Our doctor was amazing and the birth went very smoothly. The nurses were also stellar.
It was a quiet night and they offered – and we accepted – for them to walk with our baby in a carrier while they went about their tasks. This was a great transition to having two kids for us. Our baby is now nearly five and we remember our stay at MMH well.”
INTERESTED IN WORKING AT THE NEW HOSPITAL?
A number of positions need to be filled at the current and future hospital ranging from clinical, support services, administration, and more! For more info and a list of job opportunities at the new Terrace hospital, go to Let’s Talk MMH and download 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.
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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.
- New hospital virtual tour (video)
- New Seven Sisters virtual tour (video)
- MMH staff excited for new hospital (video)
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.
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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 1
Sample WashroomWHERE 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 PALETTENorthern 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. -
June 2023 - Quarterly Project Update
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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.
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February 2023 - Quarterly Project Update
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Download a pdf of the February 2023 Quarterly Project Update.
WHERE WE’RE AT
Celebrating exciting construction milestones
Pictured here is one of two medical surgical inpatient units framed in on Level 3 of the new hospital. You are looking down a hallway flanked by single patient rooms.Construction of new hospital has surpassed 50% completion. Project is on schedule, on budget and continues to pass regular inspections with no issues.- All Level 1 and the majority of Level 2 & 3 exterior panels are installed.
- A total 194 multi trade racks (MTR’s) have been installed inside the new hospital. MTRs are structural steel frames located in the ceiling space above the drywall. They hide and protect and allow for the flow of mechanisms such as gas lines, and mechanical and electrical wires, throughout the facility. The MTRs were designed and fabricated off site to decrease the chance of defects and save time and money.
- The structural steel framing and exterior walls for the ‘penthouse’ (Level 5) are complete. Level 5 is where the majority of the new hospital’s mechanical and electrical components are located, such as the heating and cooling system.
- Discussions and negotiations regarding equipment and furniture suppliers continue. Equipment continues to be delivered and installed throughout the building.
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On Level 0 (the basement), framing, and the installation of mechanical, electrical and plumbing lines, as well as pre-painting is happening in the following areas:
- biomedical
- facilities and maintenance
- food services
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On Level 1 (the main floor), drywalling and taping for the following areas continues:
- lab services
- renal services
- cancer care
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intensive care unit (ICU)
New Seven Sisters taking shape
A worker installs the last of the new Seven Sisters roof frames with the help of a crane on February 13, 2023.Drive along Haugland Avenue and you can see for yourself that the new Seven Sisters is taking shape quickly. With construction of the new facility expected to be complete by the end of 2023, all the foundation walls and roof frames are being installed.The new Seven Sisters is being built on the southwest corner of the Mills Memorial Hospital site, to the left of the current hospital’s main entrance. The new facility, which is part of the Mills Memorial Hospital project, will have 25 beds – an increase from the current 20.
Seven Sisters is a regional mental health facility that provides long-term rehabilitation and recovery programs for adults living with serious and persistent mental illness.
At almost double the size of the current facility on Tetrault Street, and with new amenities, including a multi-sensory room, the new Seven Sisters will greatly benefit those who live and work there.
Stay tuned! We will release plans and renderings of the new Seven Sisters soon!
Planning for inclusivity, cultural safety, comfort and more
The project’s Indigenous and Community Advisory Working Groups (IAWG & CAWG) met in early 2023. Members continue to provide valuable feedback on how to ensure the new hospital is welcoming, inclusive, locally relevant, and culturally safe.
The most recent discussion included a variety of topics such as landscaping, naming, art and artifacts, increased patient support, the inclusion of various languages throughout the new facility including Sm’algyax, and many other topics.
Input from the CAWG and IAWG is filtered upwards to the MMH Project Steering Committee who, in collaboration with the Project Board, balances the complexities of a capital building project with the needs and wants of the local and regional communities and residents.
WHERE WE’RE GOING
Recruiting and retaining staff
Last year, Northern Health created a new position, a Recruitment and Retention Ambassador for Northwest BC, to assist with staff recruitment and retention initiatives for facilities throughout the region. Brad Leier was hired into the position in November 2022 and a big part of his role is focused on recruitment for the new facilities planned for Terrace: the new Mills Memorial Hospital and Seven Sisters.
The recruitment aspect of Brad’s role is centered around building recruitment capacity in the Northwest through establishing and maintaining partnerships with community partners including the local schools and school districts, Indigenous employment and training offices, community service groups, WorkBC centres, and post-secondary institutions. Brad’s day-to-day work includes conducting school visits, recruitment presentations, helping prospective staff navigate the application process, participating in career fairs, as well as working with career and employment councillors to increase their awareness of the many careers available with Northern Health.
Brad Leier, NH’s new NW Recruitment and Retention Ambassador, lives in Terrace on a farm with his wife Dena and their two kids Jackson and Melanie. The other aspect of Brad’s role – retention – sees him supporting initiatives aimed at creating the best work environments possible across the Northwest.Brad lives in Terrace with his wife Dena and their two children, Jackson and Melanie. Moving from Alberta 12 years ago, he now calls BC home. Brad has over a decade of experience in healthcare and has worked in a variety of positions within both the health and post-secondary sectors. When he’s not working, you will find Brad on his small farm – Graham Acres Homestead – where he and his wife are in the process of launching a creamery, thanks to their growing herd of dairy goats.
Preparing for the big moves and future operations
The new Seven Sisters is set to open less than a year from now, and the new hospital should be in operations in 2025, in little more than two years. That may seem like lots of time but there’s a significant amount of work to do to prepare to move into and operate both new facilities.
In her new role as Transition Coordinator, Anne Chisholm is tasked with coordinating and supporting staff, physicians, and managers, to become ready to provide care, services and supports in the new hospital and Seven Sisters. She will also support community partners and patients in getting to know the new facilities.
LEARN MORE
Go to letstalk.northernhealth.ca/MMH
A worker installs the last of the new Seven Sisters roof frames with the help of a crane on February 13, 2023.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 our two 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.
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November 2022 - Quarterly Project Update
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Download a pdf of the November 2022 Quarterly Project Update.
WHERE WE'RE AT
Construction advancing steadily
Cranes removed
Over four days at the start of October, the two tower cranes on the Mills Memorial Hospital (MMH) construction site were dismantled and removed. The two cranes were initially erected last summer to move heavy equipment and materials. With the structural bulk of the new hospital complete, smaller mobile cranes or teleporters, which are forklifts with an extending boom, will be used to move materials to upper floor locations.
Workers installing exterior insulation and siding on west side of new hospitalPreparing for winter and work insideConstruction of the new hospital remains on schedule. While timeline adjustments due to labour and supply channel disruptions are always a possibility, to date the Mills Memorial Hospital Replacement project has not been affected.
Workers continue to install insulation and siding on the exterior of the building and the shell of the new facility should be complete by the end of the year. With the shell in place, work can continue inside the building throughout the winter. Some work is already happening inside the building such as mechanical and electrical work, and placement and installation of boilers, air handling units, and steel studs in various departments on the first two floors. Various pieces of equipment also continue to be delivered and installed as they arrive.
More workers on site
The total number of workers on site varies depending on the specific work requirements at any give time. Throughout the past few months, the number of workers on site has increased significantly, from fewer than 200 to more than 250 workers. Over the course of the project, over 80 regional businesses have also secured contracts and supplied goods or services to the project with many continuing to service and supply the project.
New Seven Sisters Underway
Construction of the new Seven Sisters has begun and is expected to be complete by the end of 2023. The foundation for the new facility is underway and concrete pours are beginning this month.
Start of new Seven Sisters foundationSeven Sisters is a regional mental-health facility that provides long-term rehabilitation and recovery programs for adults living with serious and persistent mental illness. The redevelopment will allow more people to receive care in a larger space with additional amenities. The new Seven Sisters will be nearly twice as big as the existing building and include 25 beds, which is an increase from the current 20. The new facility will also add treatment rooms, meeting spaces and recreational facilities. Patients will have access to abundant natural light and outdoor space.Both the new Seven Sisters and the new hospital are being built on the same site as the existing facilities. The new Seven Sisters will be on the southwestern corner of the site to the left of the existing hospital's main entrance.
Farewell Sleeping Beauty
The Sleeping Beauty building is no more. The building was demolished earlier this month to make room for the new Mills Memorial hospital and parking at the future facility. While it’s sad to say goodbye to a building with such rich history, it’s exciting to make way for the new hospital.
Sleeping Beauty was originally built in 1961. Over its lifetime, the building has had many purposes, including being a nurses' residence and a place for visiting specialists and expectant mothers. For many years, it was home to Terrace's pediatric services. Soon after construction of the new hospital began, pediatric services moved to the Park Avenue medical clinic. In the future, pediatric services will move to the Keith Avenue mall, across the street from the new hospital. In the last few months, Sleeping Beauty served as an office for PCL, the main contractor designing and building the new hospital.
WHERE WE'RE GOING
The construction and design of the new hospital and Seven Sisters are still an important focus of the Mills Memorial Replacement project. However, we are also ramping up planning and work around patient care and operations at the new facilities.
Staffing and recruitment plans underwayWe are currently working to determine the exact staffing levels that will be needed for both new facilities. With an increase in services, a significant increase in the number of staff in various positions will be necessary. Staffing plans must consider many factors, including who to hire, and how to balance the duties and workloads of different staff in different departments.Transition Coordinator hired
G
Anne Chisholm,
Transition Coordinatoretting the facility ready for patient use includes preparing physical space, equipment, and technology. But people need to be ready too. New space and technology mean new ways of working for staff, physicians, and managers who need to be supported with training and development to provide care and service with the new workflows, new equipment and new technologies. Patients and families and the broader community will also need to be supported to get to know the new hospital.Anne Chisholm has joined the project to help coordinate and support staff, physicians, and managers to become ready to provide care, services and supports in the new hospital and Seven Sisters. She has over 35 years of experience in health care, first as a staff nurse followed by many years of management and leadership work in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and British Columbia. Two of her recent projects include the establishment of the Primary Care Medical Unit at UHNBC and the Urgent Care Centre in Prince George. Anne is excited by challenges and successes that come with working collaboratively to solve problems. She will quickly become a familiar face around the hospital. Say hello when you see her!
More supports
- A Recruitment and Retention Ambassador position specifically for Northwest BC has been created. The role will play a big part in recruitment efforts for the new facilities in Terrace.
- A Physician Lead position, who will help with the transition and recruitment of physicians for the new facilities, is in development.
- A company that specializes in healthcare facility transitions will support the physical move from the current hospital to the new one.
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July 2022 - Quarterly Project Update
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Download a pdf of the July 2022 Quarterly Project Update.
CELEBRATING ONE YEAR OF CONSTRUCTION!
Where we’re at
In June, we celebrated a year of construction! Here’s a few numbers from work completed to date.
- Over 100,000 tonnes of rebar
- 63 different slabs poured with 17,000 cubic metres of concrete
- More than 80 local businesses secured work on the site (see full list on Let’s Talk MMH)
The project remains on schedule and on budget.
Where we’re going
Several exciting things will be happening before the end of the year.
- Both tower cranes will be coming down.
- Outside shell of the new hospital will be complete.
- Internal and external information sessions about the project will be offered.
Project completion
The project is expected to be complete in the summer of 2026. The “substantial completion” date, however, is scheduled for September 2024. Substantial completion is the point when Northern Health will take possession of the new hospital and continue work towards getting the facility ready for patient use. After that, the current facility will need be decommissioned and demolished, and the landscaping and parking will also need to be completed.
Note that capital projects are complicated and many variables can affect timelines and deliverables.
Go to Let’s Talk MMH for a downloadable pdf of the visual timeline.
NEW HOSPITAL HIGHLIGHTS
New ambulance garage will increase patient comfort and care
Patients arriving at the new Mills Memorial Hospital by ambulance can expect a more comfortable and private experience as a result of a new, enclosed, drive-through ambulance garage.At the current hospital, ambulances back into the emergency department lot behind the hospital. Patients are then transported out of the back of the ambulance, through the elements, into the main emergency entrance.
With the new garage, which has two bays, patients will be transferred in a fully enclosed, temperature-regulated space. Once the ambulance pulls into the garage, the doors will shut to protect patients and staff from the outdoors and weather, which can be extreme at times in Terrace. Patients will then be transported directly into the emergency department, far away from the main emergency entrance.
The new garage was designed to meet industry standards in consultation with BC Emergency Health Services, which oversees the BC Ambulance Service.
The new ambulance garage is on the northeast corner of the new hospital, near Keith Avenue.
What spaces will be available for families to visit and gather?
The new hospital has been designed with all types of patients and visitors in mind, including patients with large extended families, and patients with no family.
All rooms in the new facility will be private and allow families to gather comfortably and privately. Each room has its own bathroom and window, as well as visitor seating.
Several other spaces have also been placed throughout the facility. For example, family rooms, quiet rooms, and the TV lounge. This gives patients multiple places to go with their visitors other than their room. It also allows patients who may get lonely to have places to go and be around others.
The spiritual space on the first floor is also available for families to gather. The space has a large gathering room, as well as a small gathering room, a storage area, and a kitchenette. It also has technology in the larger room so that family members can join those in the room virtually.
Outside, several gardens with seating are also planned throughout the site.
PROJECT WORKING GROUPS
Engagement is a major part of Northern Health capital projects. We’ve engaged various stakeholders and partners in a variety of ways, sharing information and gathering input, as the project has developed and progressed.
A significant way we have received valuable input into the new hospital has been through both the MMH Indigenous Advisory Working Group (IAWG) and MMH Community Advisory Working Group (CAWG).
The work of the IAWG and the CAWG informs the project to help ensure a facility that reflects and supports the communities served by Mills Memorial Hospital. Over the last few months, both groups have met several times with members of the MMH Replacement Project Team to provide feedback on a variety of topics. Aspects of the project that may be influenced by these groups include but are not limited to patient experience, culturally appropriate design, artwork, signage, and local considerations of interest that arise as we meet.
Input to date from both groups has been extremely valuable and we are tremendously grateful for the participation of the members.
Input from the CAWG and IAWG is filtered upwards. It first goes to the MMH Capital Advisory Committee. Then it goes to the MMH Project Steering Committee who, in collaboration with the Project Board, balances the complexities of a capital building project with the needs and wants of the local and regional communities and residents.
There is a lot going on behind the scenes in the construction of a new hospital, but a simplified version of reporting, when it comes to these groups, looks like the graphic on this page.
Both the IAWG and CAWG are schedule to meet next before the summer’s end.
Terms of reference for both working groups and the MMH Capital Advisory Committee can be found in the documents section of this website. Take a look to find out more info about the groups' purpose and membership:
- Indigenous Advisory Working Group (IAWG) terms of reference
- Community Advisory Working Group (CAWG) terms of reference
- Capital Advisory Committee (CAC) terms of reference
MORE INFORMATION
Go to Let’s Talk MMH
Go to letstalk.northernhealth.ca/mmh for regular project updates, photos, videos and other relevant documents. 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 and is where you can provide feedback and thoughts on the project.
Get in touch
Got questions or feedback, or want your email added to our quarterly update distribution list? Email: letstalkMMH@northernhealth.ca
Sarah Artis, the project liaison for the Mills Memorial Hospital Replacement Project, will respond.
Check out the construction camera
The Mills Memorial construction camera is 24/7. The link to the camera is on Let’s Talk MMH and has downloadable progress photos and time lapse videos.
The photos below are from Saturday, July 2, 2022.
The top photo shows the new hospital construction. The white material you see on the first floor is insulation. The siding that will ultimately cover the outside of hospital will cover the insulation.
The bottom photo shows the future site of the new Seven Sister facility. This is the southwest corner of the site, to the west of the current hospital’s main entrance.
