A New Era of Healthcare: UHNBC's Patient-Care Tower Business Plan Approved

Residents of Northern British Columbia are one step closer to enhanced acute care and a dedicated cardiac unit with the approval of the business plan for a new patient-care tower at the University Hospital of Northern British Columbia (UHNBC) in August 2024.

Ciro Panessa, President and CEO of Northern Health, addressing the audience at the event celebrating the approval of the business plan for the new acute care tower.

Built in 1958, UHNBC is outdated and too small to meet the needs of Prince George and the surrounding region. The redevelopment will more than double the current number of beds for surgical, mental-health, and cardiac services from 102 to 211. This expansion will address the three areas most in need of upgrades and allow for better-coordinated patient care.

Cardiac care, currently spread throughout the hospital, will be centralized in the new 11-storey tower. This includes a 6-bed cardiac-care unit and a 20-bed cardiac step-down unit. Along with interventional cardiac services, northern residents will have better access to critical cardiac care closer to home.

The tower will also feature a state-of-the-art surgical unit with 47 new beds, bringing the total to 102. The number of operating rooms will increase from 7 to 12, and an expanded medical device reprocessing department will enhance surgical capacity and efficiency.

To meet the growing need for mental-health and substance-use services, the number of treatment beds will increase by 36, totaling 72. This includes 11 youth psychiatric-assessment beds, 4 brief-intervention beds, 36 adult psychiatric beds, and 32 withdrawal-management beds.

Located on the southeast corner of the UHNBC campus, the tower will be built on the site of the health unit building between Edmonton and Winnipeg streets. Early work has already begun with the construction of a 471-space parkade next to the BC Cancer Centre for the North.

The next stage in the project is the procurement process, with construction expected to begin in fall 2026 and be completed by summer 2031.

This expansion is supported by a significant contribution from the Fraser-Fort George Regional Hospital District and builds on more investments in the North, including new and expanded hospitals in Terrace, Fort St. James, Dawson Creek, and Quesnel.

Check back here for project updates and ask any questions you have in the comments!