Expansion of Langley Memorial Hospital Maternity Unit begins

Langley, BC – Patients at Langley Memorial Hospital (LMH) are one-step closer to a newly expanded maternity unit, as construction is now underway on The Vandekerkhove Family Maternity Centre.

The Fraser Health Authority issued a Request for Proposal in September 2012 to general contractors, and Vancouver-based Bird Construction was awarded the construction contract for the new centre.

The expansion will include seven additional Single Room Maternity Care (SRMC) rooms, including one with improved isolation facilities, and reserved space for three additional rooms to support future expansion. LMH is one of four Fraser Health sites offering the SRMC model, which is based on best practice and contributes to a better childbirth experience by supporting family centered care. With the seven new rooms, the total number of SRMC spaces will increase to 20, to better manage current and future demand. The number of births at LMH is expected to increase to 2,336 by 2020 – a 28% increase from 2009.

In addition to the new rooms, the maternity clinic, which is currently operating out of temporary space within the hospital, will be relocated next to the maternity unit. Comprised of general practitioners with specific interests in primary maternity care, the clinic completes more than 10,000 patient visits every year.

Further improvements include a dedicated Post Anaesthetic Recovery Unit (PACU) room to allow families to stay together after surgery; renovated and expanded nursery space with improved isolation facilities; additional on-call rooms for medical students who are completing their obstetrical placement in the Langley Maternity Clinic; and new multi-purpose space for team training and meetings.

The new maternity unit will be named The Vandekerkhove Family Maternity Centre in recognition of a
$1 million gift from Langley’s Vandekerkhove family. The $6.5 million project is being funded by the community through Langley Memorial Hospital Foundation’s commitment of $5.35 million, with the additional $1.15 million funded by Fraser Health Authority (FH). Further, FH is funding various infrastructure projects totaling $5.5 million, which are required to support the LMH maternity expansion, and will also fund its ongoing operational costs.

Construction is scheduled for completion in late 2013, at which time four beds will open, with the three remaining expected to open in 2015. Service and care to expectant moms and families will not be affected during the construction phase. 

Quotes

Mary Polak, MLA Langley
“I commend Fraser Health and the Langley Memorial Hospital Foundation for their commitment to making this a reality. We have great community support for Langley Memorial Hospital and I’m excited to see the expansion of the Langley Memorial Hospital maternity unit moving forward. Families in Langley will indeed benefit from this important project, which will improve patient care and health in our growing community.”

Dr. Nigel Murray, president and CEO, Fraser Health
“The expansion of the Langley Memorial Hospital Maternity Unit is an integral part of Fraser Health’s strategy to build maternity capacity and better integrate our services in high growth communities across the Fraser Valley. This project will improve patient satisfaction and the delivery of care, which is a fundamental priority for Fraser Health.”

Richard McMullan, Chair, Langley Memorial Hospital Foundation Board of Directors
“We are very fortunate to have so many dedicated and committed individuals, organizations and businesses in the community putting their support behind this exciting project and the ‘It All Starts Here’ campaign. Supporting the maternity project is really supporting the foundation of the whole community. We are thrilled to see the campaign reach another milestone with the start of construction. It all starts here; It all starts now. “

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Fraser Health Media Pager

604-450-7881

www.fraserhealth.ca