Capital Construction Project Update
Prairie Mountain Health (PMH) continues to move forward on several major construction and renovation projects in partnership with Manitoba Health and Shared Health. The following is a brief update as of March 21, 2024.
Visuals are renderings only and not intended to reflect how the final project will actually appear.
Brandon Regional Health Centre (BRHC)
Construction to expand and renovate clinical spaces within the BRHC campus continues, with work on the new Critical Care bed tower addition. Once completed the entire project will feature:
- a new 16-bed Intensive Care Unit – main level.
- approximately 30 additional medical beds on – the 2nd floor.
- 3rd floor – mechanical space.
- 4th floor – shell space for future expansions.
The anticipated completion for the Critical Care bed tower project is late 2025.
Western Manitoba Cancer Care Centre (WMCC)
Work continues on the expanded and renovated WMCC, which will serve as a regional cancer hub, providing enhanced cancer services for patients across western Manitoba. The project includes:
- 7,000-sq.-ft. expansion and renovation of existing space, including additional exam rooms and treatment spaces.
- space for a ‘Centre of Hope’ for counselling and recovery patients to have additional support and resources.
- second medical linear accelerator, used for delivering external beam radiation treatments to patients with cancer.
The anticipated project completion is mid-summer of 2024.
Neepawa Health Centre
The new hospital is being built east of Neepawa on the north side of the Yellowhead highway near the Lions Campground.
It will be over four times the size of the existing hospital, and will better serve patients from this broader western Manitoba geographic area. Features of the new health centre will include:
- 60 acute care inpatient beds, up from 35 at the current Neepawa site.
- an expanded emergency department designed to best practice standards that include treatment and assessment rooms, trauma rooms and an ambulance bay.
- adding a hemodialysis suite with nine dialysis stations.
- enhanced space for a number of other programs, such as surgery, diagnostics, and palliative care, as well as outpatient services like chemotherapy (6 treatment stations).
The anticipated project completion is early 2026.
Dauphin Regional Health Centre
Renovations to the Dauphin Regional Health Centre (DRHC) continue. A new Chemotherapy Unit, which relocated the existing unit on the hospital’s third floor to the main floor, opened in early January.
Work continues to bring a new Endoscopy suite into operation. The new suite on the hospital’s main floor will relocate all endoscopy procedures out of the existing operating room. This will further free up operating space, and increase surgical capacity at DRHC. PMH is working toward having the new suite operational within the next few months.
A second phase of the renovation project is now well underway. This includes:
- adding nine additional inpatient beds (seven on Medicine Unit, two on Surgery).
- renovating vacated space (former cancer care unit on third floor) into a new physiotherapy area and some administrative offices.
- renovating a conference room and adding additional storage space.
Phase 2 completion (hospital in-patient renovations) is anticipated by the fall of 2024, therefore increasing hospital capacity.
Killarney, Virden and Souris Health Centres
Three additional Emergency Department (ED) renovations in Virden, Killarney and Souris are now complete. This involved:
- dedicated space for registration and triage for those attending the ED. This provides greater privacy but also better sight lines for staff to view patients and the waiting area.
- refreshed treatment spaces (e.g.: new paint, flooring, etc.).
- improved wayfinding for those arriving at the Emergency Department and for those coming to visit inpatients.
The new spaces have been well-received by staff and those who have presented to the Emergency Departments.
Russell Health Centre (Cancer Care unit building expansion)
Construction on the addition to the Russell Health Centre for an expanded cancer care unit is entering the final stages. Once complete, the project will add another 3,300 sq.-ft. to the health centre’s existing CancerCare Manitoba chemotherapy treatment space. This is roughly four times the size of the current space and will include:
- replacement of the existing nursing station and medication storage area;
- creation of a dedicated patient washroom, nourishment area, and a small waiting area;
- improved patient privacy.
The local Expanding Community Cancer Care Committee (ECCC) raised $1.8 million of the $2.5 million required in order for the capital construction project to proceed. The Province contributed $700,000 for the remaining capital costs.
The anticipated completion is sometime in the spring of 2024.
Swan River CT scan project
Renovations to the hospital space that will hold the new CT Scanner within the Swan Valley Health Centre in Swan River are nearing completion. Mechanical and electrical work will continue through March.
The CT scanner unit will be installed through April and May. After installation, inspections, staffing and support will be implemented with a goal of operationalizing the equipment in the summer.
