As final preparations are underway for the opening of Phase one of the Burnaby Hospital redevelopment, we Iook ahead to the future of care, just weeks away.
Photo: Day in the Life at Burnaby Hospital.
On January 29, Jenna checked into the new Health Care Pavilion at Burnaby Hospital to deliver twins, settling into one of 10 rooms designed for labour and delivery, including four with birthing tubs. Hours later, Jenna would return for an emergency C-Section to deliver a surprise third baby.
Thanks to a new virtual assistant on wheels, she bypassed the standard registration process in the emergency department. Fraser Health’s first After Hours Registration Protocol via iPad will allow labouring patients arriving after hours to go directly to the Maternity Unit, resulting in a more seamless experience of care.
As you may have guessed, Jenna didn’t deliver three babies. Instead, she graciously played the role of a patient during Burnaby Hospital’s ‘Day in the Life’ scenarios. Six simulations across more than 10 departments allowed teams to test workflows, equipment and information management systems in the soon-to-open Health Care Pavilion and expanded Support Facilities Building.
“For a lot of people, this was the first time they crossed between the old and new spaces and we tried to mimic what it will be like on first patient day,” says Katie Quirk, clinical leader, Burnaby Hospital Redevelopment. Katie was documenting areas that require fixes or procedural adjustments, from call lights that didn’t illuminate to code calls that weren’t heard in all areas of the hospital.
“Any transition is challenging, especially when we’re building a new hospital on the same site,” says Dr. Vanessa Han, obstetrician-gynecologist. “Given the type of emergency cases we see, having as much familiarity with the space beforehand is beneficial because there are things that you might not think of. For example, we needed someone present in our scenario to deliver blood because we’re working between two buildings.”
The Day in the Life scenarios also served as an important team-building opportunity.
“We have a resilient team from volunteers to porters, housekeeping, patient care and allied health,” says Dr. Brian McGowan, physician lead for the Burnaby Hospital redevelopment and a 40-year Burnaby Hospital emergency physician. “While change is exciting, the constant is the collegial group of physicians and nurses working together in a family-like environment.”
After pretending to be a patient all day and delivering three mock babies, Jenna was ‘discharged’ from the hospital with a newfound appreciation for the people who work in health care.
“I want to be a licensed practical nurse, so it was a great opportunity to see behind the scenes,” she says. “Everyone is so capable and professional, and there is a real sense of teamwork.”
Phase One of the Burnaby Hospital redevelopment includes:
- 83 beds (primarily single-patient rooms with private bathrooms)
- Larger Emergency Department
- Medicine Unit
- Six new operating rooms
- Maternity Unit
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
- Medical Device Reprocessing Department
- Mental Health Inpatient Unit
- New energy centre
Watch here:
Learn more: https://www.fraserhealth.ca/capital-projects/projects/burnaby-hospital
