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RIH opens new clinical services building

A physician in Kamloops can meet with a patient in a nearby community such as 100 Mile House or Clearwater

Interior Health Authority

KAMLOOPS — The creation of three dedicated tele-health consultation rooms is among many new features in the new clinical services building that have provided patients with more seamless access to their outpatient appointments at Royal Inland Hospital.

The new building celebrated its grand opening Friday at Royal Inland Hospital. Health Minister Terry Lake and fellow MLAs Todd Stone and Jackie Tegart joined Interior Health for the festivities, along with representatives from the Thompson Regional Hospital District, Bird Construction, Royal Inland Hospital Foundation, University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine and the Tkemlups Indian Band.

“Today, we are not only celebrating a brand new addition to Royal Inland Hospital, but also an investment in health care for all patients served by this hospital, both in Kamloops and in the surrounding communities,” said Lake. ”The Province is committed to improving access to timely health care for all British Columbians. The Clinical Services Building is an important piece in this plan.”

The Clinical Services Building officially opened on Aug. 15, 2016. In the month since, patients have benefited from the outpatient services in the bright and spacious new patient-care environment. This includes the three tele-health consultation rooms on the Clinical Services Buildings Level 1, in which patients meet virtually with their out-of-town health-care provider by using a monitor, video camera and microphone over a secure network.

Patients in Kamloops can consult with a surgeon in Vancouver. Likewise, a physician in Kamloops can meet with a patient in a nearby community such as 100 Mile House or Clearwater.

The Clinical Services Building has added approximately 5,200 square metres (55,975 square feet) of state-of-the-art patient care and education space to Royal Inland Hospital.

The expanded space includes a lecture theatre and a clinical simulation centre for Interior Healths continued health professional training and the UBC Faculty of Medicines medical programs – an important investment in the future recruitment and retention of physicians and staff to the Kamloops area.

The new building also accommodates a variety of outpatient services that are regularly accessed by patients, such as laboratory, pre-surgical screening, operating room booking, cardiology, pulmonary function, neurodiagnostic care, a sleep lab and intravenous infusion therapy. The Vascular Improvement program, Transient Ischemic Attack rapid-access clinic, and the Thompson Region Family Obstetrics Clinic have relocated from Royal Inland Hospitals Alumnae Tower, and there is additional clinical space for future service expansion or relocation. This includes the orthopaedics clinic, which is preparing to move to the Clinical Services Building this fall.

All these services are easily accessible from the four-storey, 350-stall parkade that opened July 25. Patients are also able to reach services within the existing hospital through the pedestrian bridge link. Those entering on foot from Columbia Street may choose between a stairway and a wheelchair-accessible elevator to reach Royal Inland Hospital.

 

The new building was designed and constructed to target Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification. The project came in on time and under budget – an investment of approximately $69.1 million, funded by the Province and the Thompson Regional Hospital District. The surplus funds have been reallocated to planning for a patient care tower, which would be a future stage in Royal Inland Hospital's redevelopment.