Mills Memorial Hospital Replacement - Terrace, BC
Project Overview
We are building a new, state-of-the-art hospital in Terrace, BC, to address current and future patient care needs.
More than double the size of the existing facility (approximately 356,500 square feet), the new, acute care hospital and integrated services facility will be a centre for trauma services, orthopedic surgeries, pathology, radiology, clinical support and pharmacy services. The hospital will also be a training site for medical students in the Northern Medical Program.
A new hospital will…
- Benefit patients and families
- Benefit physicians and staff
- Strengthen existing services
- Offer new and expanded services
- Strengthen the regional network of health-careContinue reading
Project Overview
We are building a new, state-of-the-art hospital in Terrace, BC, to address current and future patient care needs.
More than double the size of the existing facility (approximately 356,500 square feet), the new, acute care hospital and integrated services facility will be a centre for trauma services, orthopedic surgeries, pathology, radiology, clinical support and pharmacy services. The hospital will also be a training site for medical students in the Northern Medical Program.
A new hospital will…
- Benefit patients and families
- Benefit physicians and staff
- Strengthen existing services
- Offer new and expanded services
- Strengthen the regional network of health-care services
- Increase access to care, closer to home, for all Northwest BC residents
- Support recruitment, retention and engagement of health care workers
- Bring local economic benefits
Q&A
Welcome to the Q&A tool! With this tool, you can:
- Ask a question directly to the Project Team
- View the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page.
Here's how the tool works:
- Ask your question in the box below and click "Submit"
- Submitted questions are reviewed by The Project Team
- Responses are provided within 3 business days of receipt.
- Sometimes answers require information from multiple sources. If the answer is going to take longer than 3 business days, we will let you know.
-
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link
Hello, I was looking at the "What We Heard" brochure and it states that the new hospital will increase our med/surg bed from 25 to 41. The current hospital is operating with with 35 med/surg beds and frequently 5-6 inpatients awaiting a bed in ER. How is the new hospital going to support our growing community if it will be at capacity the day we move in? Furthermore, OR capacity is increasing, and orthopedic services are being added to the already busy surgical schedule. ICU capacity is doubling. As both these will increase the number of inpatients requiring acute care (med/surg) services, how do the current bed allocation plans reflect the increase in services that the hospital intends to offer?
nursing staff asked 2 months agoThanks so much for your question. You are not the only one who has asked questions about the number of beds at the new hospital and whether it will be enough to accommodate the local and regional population’s needs going forward.
The rigorous planning process for the new Mills Memorial Hospital has taken place over approximately the past 10 years and was thoroughly reviewed throughout by the Ministry of Health. It consisted of several stages including master planning, master programming, concept planning, and finally, business planning.
During the planning stages, initial work centres around population projections - more specifically, what the age/sex adjusted population will look like 10, 20, 30, 40 years out. These projections are then modelled and used to estimate the healthcare demand for a community - from the number of diagnostic exams expected, to the number of inpatient hospital beds.
Resource Planning Group (RPG), a leading consulting firm that specializes in master planning and functional programming in the health care sector was part of the MMH planning process. This firm worked diligently, using the same method they’ve used to calculate bed counts in other new facilities, to calculate the appropriate bed counts for the new Mills Memorial Hospital.
You asked specifically about the number of beds in the medical/surgical department.
Northern Health has undertaken various bed modelling work for both acute and long-term care, and the different hospital departments. This takes many factors into account including, but not limited to, emerging technologies that impact hospital stays, future redevelopment work, future plans for other facilities and services, and design features to help manage potential overflow.
For example, attention is being paid to the number of Alternate Level of Care (ALC) patient counts in hospitals, which we recognize have been and remain high. Planning for additional long term care capacity in communities, which is underway regionally and provincially, would see these patients being cared for in other facilities or environments, freeing up acute care bed capacity.
Another example is planning for expanding psychiatry bed capacity outside of acute care units such as med-surg.
Taking these and other new measures into account, it is anticipated that the new bed counts will be appropriate for future service levels.
We understand staff concerns around bed counts and having sufficient resources and means to give all patients the best care possible. We assure you that we share these concerns and are doing our best to address them.
As for future questions or if you wish more information, we are planning to host several information sessions on the new hospital in the fall. Some of these information sessions will be public, while others will be specifically for MMH staff and physicians.
You can also email letstalkMMH@northernhealth.ca if you have further questions.
-
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link
Will there be a blood donation, Red Cross, present in the new hospital. I worked in Kitimat Hospital Lab as Lab Assistant (resently retired). A very frequent question asked by our patients was - where can you give blood? The Red Cross website says nearest location is Kelowna.
mjohn asked 11 months agoThanks for asking about this important issue. Northern Health does not manage blood donations. Blood donation in Canada is managed and coordinated by Canadian Blood Services (https://www.blood.ca/en). Should Canadian Blood Services reach out to Northern Health about donor clinics in our area, we would aim to work with them to support that. However, there’s no dedicated area in the new hospital for this purpose.
As for blood supply for patients, Mills Memorial Hospital has a supply of blood on hand at all times.
More info about donating blood can also be found at Health Link BC: https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/health-topics/uf10217
-
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link
Wondering with the new hospital plans if there will be a place one can come and donate blood in Terrace. Especially when someone has a universal blood type and would be so helpful to donate. PG is to far to travel to donate or wait for blood to be shipped from.
Sandra asked 11 months agoThanks for asking about this important issue. Northern Health does not manage blood donations. Blood donation in Canada is managed and coordinated by Canadian Blood Services (https://www.blood.ca/en). Should Canadian Blood Services reach out to Northern Health about donor clinics in our area, we would aim to work with them to support that. However, there’s no dedicated area in the new hospital for this purpose.
As for blood supply for patients, Mills Memorial Hospital has a supply of blood on hand at all times.
More info about donating blood can also be found at Health Link BC: https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/health-topics/uf10217
-
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link
Is there going to be a helipad at the hospital since it will be level three trauma center
DMCQUAY asked 11 months agoThanks for the question as it's one we get often. Plans for the new hospital do no include a helipad.
Northern Health had a third party lead a process to review the development of a helipad as part of the Mills Memorial Hospital replacement project. Two final reports from this process are available to the public:
The review process concluded that:- The airport is the optimal location for fixed and rotary wing emergency transportation
- The current project is prohibitive for the development of a ground level helipad at this time
- The risks associated with helicopters incidents at a healthcare facility helipad when compared to the short travel distance from the airport to the helipad are significant
Northern Health remains committed to long-term planning for air support and further reviews of helipad locations may occur in the future. -
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link
Is there going to be locked bike storage? Particularly for staff. We’ve had problems with people breaking into the semi locked storage before and stealing bikes but aren’t allowed to bring them into the building. So I currently would commute via bike but can’t risk it being stolen so have to drive and fill up the inadequate parking spaces.
Rachel asked 11 months agoYes! The current plans do have locked bike storage.
-
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link
I'm wondering about the flat roof on the proposed building plan of the new hospital, was this due to budgeting? I have seen the new hospital in Fort St John and it's flat roof and asked some of the staff there, they say it leaked the very first winter and has continued to due so. Are we in for the same if the new build has a flat roof?
JMH asked 11 months agoHi. Thanks for the question! Flat roofs are actually quite common for commercial buildings and have many benefits. They tend to leak as a result of defects. The roof of the new hospital will have a small slope to drain water to designated drain points. Hopefully that eases some of your concerns.
-
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link
Hi, how many storeys will the new Mills Memorial Hospital have? Thanks.
CristinaAgudo asked about 1 year agoHi. The current design for the new Mills Memorial Hospital has four storeys and a basement. The first three storeys will be operational, while the fourth will house the mechanics for the building. As the project proceeds, a draft design will be available for the public to view. Thanks for the question!
-
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link
Hi there, I wonder who is the engineering company involved in design of electrical system? Thanks
sanazpouran asked over 1 year agoThank you for your question. Northern Health's Mills Memorial Replacement project is in the Request for Proposal (RFP) phase. All subcontracts will be administered by the proponent selected through the RFP process. The proponent will be announced publicly when the decision has been finalized. Please check back for this information. Thanks!
subcontractorsubcontractor
Who's Listening
-
Capital Project Liaison Officer, Mills Memorial Hospital Replacement, Northern Health
Videos
Documents
-
Quarterly Updates
-
April 2022 MMH-what-we-heard-WEB.pdf (2.33 MB) (pdf)
-
MMH project regional subcontractors list.pdf (155 KB) (pdf)
-
MMH Replacement Project visual timeline (6.25 MB) (pdf)
-
MMH Project Overview Presentation for NWRHD March 19, 21.pdf (1.18 MB) (pdf)
-
Indigenous Advisory Working Group
-
Community Advisory Working Group
-
Capital Advisory Committee
-
Mills Capital Advisory Committee Terms of Reference (261 KB) (pdf)
-
2021, March 23 Capital Advisory Meeting Summary .pdf (202 KB) (pdf)
-
2021, Jan 5 Capital Advisory Meeting Summary.pdf (234 KB) (pdf)
-
2021, Jan 5 Communications Update for MMH Capital Advisory.pdf (2.02 MB) (pdf)
-
2019, Oct. 3 Capital Advisory Meeting Summary (665 KB) (pdf)
-
2019, April 8 Capital Advisory Meeting Summary (220 KB) (pdf)
-
2020, Sept. 17 Capital Advisory Meeting Summary (589 KB) (pdf)
-
-
Draft designs - September 13, 2021
-
MMH Draft designs as of September 13, 2021.pdf (31 MB) (pdf)
-
DRAFT MMH Replacement project site plan for public_2021.07.23 (4.1 MB) (pdf)
-
Aerial view of proposed MMH project plans as of March 2021.jpg (344 KB) (jpg)
-
MMH Draft Designs - Landscape plan.pdf (5.43 MB) (pdf)
-
MMH Draft Designs - Plant board.pdf (15.5 MB) (pdf)
-
-
Helipad Reports
-
Mills Memorial Hospital Replacement Project Logo RFP final.pdf (668 KB) (pdf)
Updates by subject
- #FAQ (1)
- #PCL (5)
- #alert (14)
- #art (2)
- #construction (42)
- #design (19)
- #employment (5)
- #engagement (16)
- #event (4)
- #media (5)
- #money (1)
- #neighbourhood (23)
- #procurement (10)
- #project team (2)
- #quarterly update (1)
- #services (2)
- #video (4)
- #working groups/committees (3)