Capital Report ~ June 29, 2007
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Premier Gordon Campbell announced that the B.C. Government would be investing nearly $40 million to expand the St. Mary's Hospital to better serve residents of the Sunshine Coast. June 28, 2007. 

Major St. Mary's Hospital Expansion Gets Green Light

The B.C. Government announced this week that Sunshine Coast residents will benefit from the first major expansion of St. Mary’s Hospital in almost two decades, worth an estimated $39.75 million.

The Government of B.C. and Vancouver Coastal Health will provide 60 per cent of the total cost and the Sunshine Coast Regional Hospital District will fund the remaining 40 per cent. Expansion plans include:

  • Adding 36,000 sq. ft. to the existing 79,000 square-foot building and renovating another 11,500 square feet;
  • Creating a new special care unit for patients who require close monitoring;
  • Adding a new, larger emergency department;
  • Expanding the ambulatory care and surgical day care units;
  • Increasing the number of acute care hospital beds to 50 from 38, and creating capacity to expand to 70 beds as demand requires;
  • Developing more private rooms for infection control and isolation; and
  • Expanding and updating diagnostic imaging and plant services.

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Sixty B.C. Students Receive Pacific Leaders Scholarships

 Sixty B.C. students have been awarded the first Pacific Leaders scholarships for children of BC Public Service employees.

Recipients will receive a $2,500 scholarship when they enrol as a full-time student in an undergraduate degree program or a trade, technical or vocational program at a recognized public or private post-secondary institution in B.C. Applications were chosen based on academic achievement (with a minimum B average), communication skills and an essay written by the students on the value of the public service. Each winner has at least one parent who has been a regular full-time or part-time employee of the B.C. Public Service continuously for the past three years.

The scholarships are one component of the Pacific Leaders program announced by Premier Gordon Campbell in March. The program also provides scholarships of up to $7,500 for BC Public Service employees to support their career development and training, graduate student fellowships of up to $20,000 to attract top researchers to the public service, and forgiveness of B.C. student loans for employees who work in the BC Public Service for at least three years.

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Province Gains New Cancer Medical Technology

For the first time ever, British Columbia will be producing radio tracers at a public facility to enhance the treatment and management of cancer patients by establishing a radiopharmaceutical laboratory at the B.C. Cancer Agency.

This new facility means that the Province will be set up to independently produce a stable, safe and secure source of radioisotopes used to perform PET/CT scans as well as allow for future expansion of PET/CT scans to other regions of the province. Radioisotopes are used to provide accurate pre-treatment detection of cancerous tumours. Currently, the BC Cancer Agency’s Vancouver Centre is home to the province’s only publicly funded PET/CT centre.

Construction of the Radiopharmaceutical Lab is expected to commence within the next few months. The total cost of the project is estimated at $15.3 million, with the Ministry of Health making available approximately $13.8 million. The balance is being funded through a commitment by the BC Cancer Foundation to raise $1.5 million in support of this initiative.

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