Mills Memorial Hospital Replacement - Terrace, BC

Only a couple years ago the MMH construction site was an empty lot. See the images below comparing the site now to two years ago.

And now we are celebrating the following 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.

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

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. From the Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC) website, these six areas are:

• location & transportation
• sustainable site development
• water savings
• energy efficiency
• materials selection
• indoor environmental quality

“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.

On June 3, the Dr. R.E.M. Lee Hospital foundation announced the largest fundraising campaign in its history to create a crucially needed Tier 3 level Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Special Care Nursery at the new hospital in Terrace.

The need for such a facility is vitally important: over the last four years, 104 mothers with complicated or pre-term births were transferred from Mills Memorial Hospital (MMH) to facilities capable of a higher level of care. Sixty infants and their mothers made often hazardous journeys to other hospitals-with two-thirds of them leaving the region.

"Although not originally a part of the MMH rebuild, this is a once-in-a ­generation opportunity" said Foundation Chair Ron Bartlett, a member of the Kitsumkalum nation.

Dr. Anita Adlam, a pediatrician responsible for acute pediatric care at MMH, concurred, "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."

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 the people they need and their families less burdened by the financial and emotional costs of travel and long-term stays in unfamiliar settings.

MMH's level of neonatal and maternal services will increase from Tier 2 to Tier 3. There is no other facility that offers Tier 3 level services in the Northwest Health Services area.

"This project is an investment in Northwest B.C. families, the future of our First Nations communities and our young workers," said Bartlett. "Our fund raising committee members are committed, with your help, to achieving this vitally important goal."

Donate today!

Donations to the Dr. R.E.M. Lee Hospital Foundation in support of this project can be made by calling (250) 641-5526 or online at remleehospitalfoundation.org

Donations are tax-deductible, Charitable Registration Number 11923 0399 RR0001

The Dr. R.E.M. Lee Hospital Foundation, a volunteer charitable organization, was created in 1988 to raise funds in support of Mills Memorial Hospital and Terraceview Lodge. Our mandate is to increase and improve the provision of medical care to those who live in the area of Terrace, British Columbia, whether through direct medical services and facilities or medical and educational research which enhances those services and facilities.

Dr. REM Lee Foundation, Northern Health and Newcrest Mining representatives celebrate 'Closer to Home' campaign launch on June 3, 2023 at the Kitsumkalum Health Walk.

Newcrest Mining Limited, one of the largest gold and copper mining companies in the world, has made a $2 Million gift to the Dr. R.E.M. Lee Foundation's Closer to Home fundraising campaign.

The company operates two mines, Brucejack and Red Chris, in the Northwest region of British Columbia, as well as offices in Smithers and Vancouver.

The Closer to Home campaign, announced on June 3, will raise $14.5 Million to add a Tier 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to the Mills Memorial Hospital (MMH) Replacement Project in Terrace, B.C.

The donation (the largest single gift in the history of the Foundation!) has been made possible through The Newcrest Sustainability Fund. The contribution reflects the Newcrest Sustainability Fund's vision of working in partnership with organizations around the world to deliver meaningful change, by investing in projects that are designed by the community for the community.

"We know the importance that MMH plays towards the health of our workers and their families and are grateful to be able to support better health outcomes for the region," noted Greg Norton, VP Government Relations & Social Performance (Western Canada). "The contribution to this new NICU is a commitment to how seriously we take the well­being of not only our employees and their families, but of the broader community as well."

'This unprecedented donation from Newcrest provides us with a solid foundation for our campaign. We cannot thank our friends at Newcrest enough for this a vote of confidence. The message is loud and clear: the health of the residents in our region matters," said Closer to Home Campaign Co-chair Dr. Geoff Appleton. "We are humbled and very grateful."

Donate today!

The Dr. R.E.M. Lee Hospital Foundation, a volunteer charitable organization, was created in 1988 to raise funds in support of Mills Memorial Hospital and Terraceview Lodge. Our mandate is to increase and improve the provision of medical care to those who live in the area of Terrace, British Columbia, whether through direct medical services and facilities or medical and educational research which enhances those services and facilities.

Donations to the Dr. R.E.M. Lee Hospital Foundation in support of this project can be made by calling (250) 641-5526 or online at remleehospitalfoundation.org

Donations are tax-deductible, Charitable Registration Number 11923 0399 RR0001

Greg Norton of Newcrest Mining Limited announces the company's incredible $2 million donation to the Closer to Home campaign.

The Tier 3 NICU and special care nursery are part of the birthing unit on Level 3.Mills Memorial Hospital currently provides maternal/fetal and neonatal services at the Tier 2 level.

No Tier 3 service site currently exists in Northern Health’s Northwest Service Delivery Area, and patients are often transferred to UHNBC (Tier 4) in Prince George or BC Children’s and Women’s Hospital (Tier 6) in the Lower Mainland.

Tiers of Service guidelines were revised just recently (January 2020), after the MMH Replacement project business plan was approved and design began (May 2019), which means a Tier 3 level of service was not included in the project’s original business plan, nor current design or budget.

The demand for perinatal and neonatal services in Northwest BC is expected to meet Tier 3 service level, however.

For reference, Perinatal BC’s Tiers of Service provide parameters around maternal/fetal care and newborn care services. The designation tier level depends on the services available at a facility.

More info here: http://www.perinatalservicesbc.ca/Documents/Resources/SystemPlanning/TiersOfService/TiersofService.pdf

The primary drivers for the decision to pursue a Tier 3 designation are the nature and number of births, as well as local service considerations.

Support this important addition!

The Dr. R.E.M. Lee Hospital Foundation is a volunteer organization that raises funds in support of Mills Memorial Hospital and Terraceview Lodge in Terrace. On June 3, the Foundation announced the 'Closer to Home' campaign, which is aimed at raising money to cover the cost of the Tier 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Special Care Nursery at the new Mills Memorial Hospital.

Donate to the R.E.M Lee Foundation's 'Closer to Home' campaign by calling (250) 641-5526 or online at remleehospitalfoundation.org

Help support new mothers and babies in Northwest BC who need care 'Closer to Home'.

The design of the Mills Memorial Hospital (MMH) Replacement Project began 14 years ago and is a complex project with many factors and timelines to be considered, including the future of the current seven sisters building. The project continues the construction and is on time and on budget.

Throughout this planning process, many different options were considered for the new Mills Memorial Hospital and Seven Sisters, and based on numerous factors, such as site location, the state of the building, and changes in standards in the mental health services field. The current plan, which includes the construction of a new Seven Sisters and the demolition of the existing one, was determined to be the best option to meet the needs of Terrace and the surrounding region.

The new facilities are being built on the same property as the current facilities, and operations at the current facilities must continue uninterrupted during the project. Because of this, construction activities need to happen at specific times to allow other parts of the project to proceed. This includes the construction of the new Seven Sisters building and the demolition of the existing Seven Sisters building.

Reusing or relocating the existing Seven Sisters is not an option. The existing Seven Sisters building was assembled on site and is not modular. This means it would need to be dismantled and reassembled at a new site to be repurposed. A move like this significantly compromises the integrity of a building and would be cost prohibitive. Reusing or repurposing the existing building and keeping it in place is also not an option. The existing Seven Sisters will be too close to the main and emergency room entrances and ambulance bay which would create traffic flow and safety issues, especially in the unlikely event of a mass casualty or building evacuation scenario.

There would also be substantial and costly renovations needed to make the existing Seven Sisters functional for a new user group. For example, the current Seven Sisters does not have separate suites with private washrooms or the needed common spaces to make it suitable for most uses.

We appreciate the community’s interest in and efforts to advocate for important resources and services such as more seniors supports and childcare in Terrace and the surrounding area. Unfortunately, reusing the current Seven Sisters is not an option, even if it were relocated.

The scope, schedule and design of the MMH Replacement project are under contract to PCL Constructors Westcoast. Opening the contract to change the design, delay the demolition, or move or disassemble the existing Seven Sisters would come with substantial cost and could delay the opening of the new Mills Memorial Hospital.

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.

Check out month-to-month drone video footage of the new hospital construction in Terrace, from when the project began in June 2021 until March 2023. Thanks to the project’s Design-Builder PCL for sharing the drone footage and creating this video.

It’s easy to see the progress of the outside of the new Mills Memorial Hospital, but not the inside. Here’s a couple photos.

Photo of drywall in new Emergency Department on Level 1 of the new hospital.

Photo of drywall in inpatient unit on Level 3 of the new hospital

Paving will take place today on Haugland Avenue, between Eby and Tettrault Street. just west of the main entrance of the hospital.

In April, a small part of the street was dug up so that the City could connect underground services to the new hospital. Paving the patch that was dug up will complete this work.