The proposed expansion and renovation of St. Mary's Hospital will now incorporate state-of-the-art infection control standards, but it will come at a cost -delaying the design phase of the project by six months.
Mary Ackenhusen, chief operating officer for Coastal Health Services, said the delay was frustrating, but would be worthwhile in the end.
"We recently, in November, made the decision to extend the design phase of the project," said Ackenhusen. "The reason we did that is so we could incorporate the latest infection control standards into the design, which had not been previously part of the scope. I think everybody is on board, that this is the right way to go, that we should design to these latest infection standards. The concern is the delay that causes because that doesn't happen over night. We lost about six months."
Ackenhusen said the new designs would have a measurable effect on both the rate of infections and the costs of running the hospital.
"The evidence shows you can get a 20 to 50 per cent reduction in your infection rate, and every infection costs the system about $6,000 additional, not to mention the compromise of the person who gets the infection," Ackenhusen said. "It's a good thing for patient safety. It's a good thing for staff safety because they also get these infections. It's a good thing for cost."
One of the most important aspects of the design will be having all single rooms, each with their own washroom. This will be the first hospital in Vancouver Coastal Health's jurisdiction to meet those standards, she said.
Ackenhusen said there is also an unplanned benefit to delaying the expansion; because of the current state of the economy, construction will likely be a lot cheaper than it would have been six months earlier.
Ackenhusen said the new construction design will be completed with the original budget of $39.75 million.
"We're hoping to tender all or part of the project in late spring," Ackenhusen said. "The expectation is that the project will be completed by 2012.
Originally, the expansion was planned to be completed in 2011 and the renovation in 2012.
Ackenhusen said there is no mandate from the provincial government stating hospitals have to follow infection control designs, but it is likely they are already coming. Calgary and many American hospitals already have up-to-date infection control designs and Ontario soon will, according to Ackenhusen.
Gibsons Mayor Barry Janyk (board chair for the Sunshine Coast Regional Hospital District) agreed the delay was frustrating, but worthwhile. "Any time there is a delay, it's always a bit disconcerting, but I respect and expect Vancouver Coastal Health to make the right decision," Janyk said. "They have the full support of the regional hospital board. We just anticipate the start may be a bit later."
