Media Release
Coming soon: Tender for work on St. Boniface Hospital’s Emergency room
Winnipeg Regional Health Authority
Wednesday, March 7, 2018
In preparation for the planned expansion of the St. Boniface Hospital Emergency Department, demolition work will soon begin in a recently-vacated unit close to the existing emergency department, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA) announced today.
A tender will be issued in the coming days for demolition work expected to take place throughout the month of April. Demolition work will be followed by a tender to begin construction on the 2,214-square foot expansion of the emergency department early this summer.
“These renovations will increase St. Boniface’s emergency department by 10 treatment spaces and expand its capacity in the short term, while the region continues to work within its overall capital planning process toward the future redevelopment of the site,” said Kelvin Goertzen, Minister of Health, Seniors and Active Living.
The $5 million emergency department expansion project is expected to consist of a number of phases beginning with the demolition of a recently vacated ambulatory care space beside the emergency department. The space was vacated following the move of geriatric rehabilitation services to Victoria General Hospital as part of Phase 1 of the region’s clinical consolidation
“This work will not only create additional capacity for St. Boniface’s emergency department but will improve our ability to work seamlessly as a system across the three acute care sites,” said Lori Lamont, acting chief operating officer and vice-president of nursing and health professions for the region. “The additional treatment spaces and renewed design of the department will facilitate streaming of different types of emergency patients and enhance the ability of staff to offer the best patient care possible.”
The hospital’s emergency department will remain open during the renovations, said Lamont.
Once complete, the renovated and expanded department will include an additional eight stretchers, 21 internal waiting spaces, approximately 25 pre-triage waiting spaces, nine new treatment beds and one additional resuscitation bed. A new triage desk will also be added along with improved design and additional capacity in the waiting area. The renovation is anticipated to be complete in summer 2019.
While the demolition contract marks the first activity related to Phase 2 of the region’s Healing our Health System Plan, patients will not see any changes related to Phase 2 activities until the opening of the new Grace Hospital emergency department later this spring.
