B.C. moves forward with health research centre at new St. Paul’s Hospital
Posted December 14, 2023 3:40 pm.
Last Updated December 14, 2023 8:07 pm.
The B.C. government is moving ahead with a $638 million “state-of-the-art” clinical support and research centre at the new St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver.
Health Minister Adrian Dix announced on Thursday that construction on the hospital is underway and the work being done in this centre is “historic for the public healthcare system.”
“We are going to see scientific breakthroughs translated into real-world health care, delivering better services and treatments for patients. B.C. is becoming a global hub for life sciences,” Dix said. “Today’s announcement will help us to continue to attract the best scientists and researchers to our province, as well as doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.”
He says the centre will include infrastructure for emerging technology, such as 3D bio-printing, research data and analytics, corporate services, medical offices for doctors and specialists, and a 49-space child-care centre. This will allow “the hospital to do more for patients,” Dix adds.
Fiona Dalton, CEO of Providence Health Care, says the new centre will give top talent a space to develop innovation in health care.
“It will facilitate the continued development of our learning, health system with patients, clinicians, scientists, researchers, and health-care leaders working together to discover,” Dalton said.
The clinical support and research centre will be approximately 34,400 square meters and will be connected with a sky bridge to the main St. Paul’s Hospital on the Jim Pattison Campus.
The province will pay for $331.7 million of the cost of this project, while Providence Health Care, the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund, and the St. Paul’s Foundation will cover the rest.
“This new research centre will help define the future of medicine,” Premier David Eby added Thursday.
“With 49 daycare spaces in it, is not just a building. It is the future of healthcare in British Columbia and it is the future of healthcare internationally, as we take our place, as we should have a long time ago.”
With files from Kate Walker
