Look ahead: The new Emergency Department at the Jim Pattison Acute Care Tower will open at 5:00 a.m. on May 31. This moment has been more than a decade in the making and has involved thousands of people. Thank you to everyone who helped to bring the vision of this new tower to life.
Photo: Minister of Infrastructure Bowinn Ma and MLA for New Westminster-Coquitlam Jennifer Whiteside
Minister of Infrastructure Bowinn Ma was at Royal Columbian Hospital last week to announce the opening of the new Jim Pattison Acute Care Tower on May 31, 2026. The new tower will give people throughout B.C. more access to specialized, life-saving care. The tower will open in two stages. On May 31, the hospital will launch the new emergency department, medical-surgical inpatient units, intensive care unit, cardiac intensive care unit, satellite medical imaging, main entrance and parking facilities. This fall, the obstetrics unit, pediatrics unit, neonatal intensive care unit, operating rooms, interventional radiology and cardiology suites, and a cardiac surgery intensive care unit will open. Learn more.
Thank you to our partners
Photo from left: MLA Jennifer Blatherwick, MLA for Coquitlam-Maillardville; Dermot Kelly, president and CEO, Fraser Health; Jasmine Martin, former patient; Bowinn Ma, Minister of Infrastructure; Jennifer Whiteside, MLA for New Westminster-Coquitlam; Jeff Norris, president and CEO RCH Foundation; Cheryl Gabriel, Kwantlen First Nation; Lekeyten, Kwantlen First Nation Elder; and Raj Chouhan, MLA for Burnaby-New Westminster
Photo (L): Unveiling the main entrance sign; (R) Cheryl Gabriel, Kwantlen First Nation
Our First Patient Day
The new Emergency Department at the Jim Pattison Acute Care Tower will open at 5:00 a.m. on May 31. The new main entrance at the tower will also open at 7 a.m. on May 31. The old main entrance and drop-off area will remain open. At 7:00 a.m., patients in affected units will begin to be transferred to their new spaces. To help the opening of the building go safely and smoothly, we encourage people planning to visit patients on that day to wait until after 3 p.m. to visit. Thank you for your cooperation.
Rehearsing the patient move
Photo: Chief Clinical Planner Ramona Fonseka steps into the role of a patient during a rehearsal.
Hospital teams held a patient transfer day rehearsal to ensure a safe, smooth move into the the new acute care tower. The rehearsal allowed teams to test and refine each step of the move process, from patient transport routes and elevator use to staffing, coordination and communication. Read the article. Watch the video of the teams as they prepare for the move to the new tower.
Did you know?
The new tower will have food pantries on most floors, bringing food services closer to patients.
Contact us
Contact the project team at RCHRedevelopment@Fraserhealth.ca. Learn more about the project on our website, or view our latest updates and videos. Interested in working at Royal Columbian Hospital? Visit our careers page.
