OR expansion at VGH gets the green light

VANCOUVER – The Government of British Columbia announced that the business plan for the second phase of expansion of the Phil and Jennie Gaglardi Surgical Centre at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) has been approved. Phase 2 will include 13 new operating rooms and 38 new perioperative patient bays, transforming the second floor of JPN into a state-of-the art surgical facility.

“We’re very excited to embark on the next phase of this project,” said Shelly Fleck, chief clinical planning officer, major redevelopment & expansion projects, LGH ACF & VGH, operations director, surgical services, VA & VGH Simulation Centre. “The expansion on the second floor will help us maximize the space we have for surgical patient care and will support future growth.”

“Our new operating rooms at VGH will feature best-in-class technology and equipment, and allow us to provide safe, quality care to any patient in any room, regardless of the complexity or specialized nature of the care required,” said Vivian Eliopoulos, president and chief executive officer, Vancouver Coastal Health. “We’re grateful for the immense support of the Ministry of Health and the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation in helping us expand our surgical services to meet the needs of B.C. residents.”

In addition to leading-edge technology, the 13 new operating rooms will leverage the collaboration and design work completed during the VGH OR Renewal project’s first phase. This means that, like the rooms in the floor above, they will feature a larger, universal design, which will enable surgical teams to perform any surgery in any room, maximizing space for healthcare workers to help people efficiently and safely during surgery.

The new 38-bed consolidated pre- and post-operative unit will support the new ORs by providing more space for patients, care teams and necessary equipment, and improving the continuity of patient care.

“The expansion of our surgical centre is going to improve what is already an extremely high level of care through increased capacity, increased efficiency, and the new technology that we’ve implemented,” said Dr. Dean Chittock, vice president quality and patient safety.

The project is expected to be complete by 2028. Upon completion of the second phase of the VGH OR Renewal project, VGH will have a total of 30 operating rooms and 78 perioperative bays situated across two floors, as well as upgraded infrastructure including heating, ventilation, air conditioning, electrical and plumbing.

The cost of this phase is approximately $332.18 million and will be shared between the provincial government and VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation.

In May 2021, the Phil and Jennie Gaglardi Surgical Centre at VGH opened with 16 state-of-the-art operating rooms and a 40-bay pre-operative and post-operative recovery area.

“We know how important it is for people to have timely access to surgical care, not only now, while COVID-19 is having an impact, but in the years ahead,” said Adrian Dix, minister of health. “The expansion at VGH is expected to increase the number of surgeries performed from the current 14,000 per year to more than 18,000 per year, for an increase of 4,000 surgeries annually.”