Capital Construction Project Update | July 2024

Prairie Mountain Health (PMH) continues to move forward on several major construction and renovation projects in partnership with Manitoba Health, Seniors and Long Term Care and Shared Health. The following is a brief update as of mid-July 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 2^nd floor.
3^rd floor – mechanical space.
4^th floor – shell space for future expansions.

The anticipated completion for the Critical Care bed tower project is forecast for the winter of 2026.

Western Manitoba Cancer Centre construction and rendering

Western Manitoba Cancer Care Centre (WMCC)

Work continues on the expanded and renovated WMCC, which serves as a regional cancer hub, providing enhanced cancer services for patients across western Manitoba. The project includes:

9,418-sq.-ft. expansion and renovation of existing space, including additional exam rooms and treatment spaces.
space for the ‘Paul Albrechtsen Centre for 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.

Total anticipated completion of the project is currently forecast to be late September 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 summer 2026.

Dauphin Regional Health Centre

Renovations to the Dauphin Regional Health Centre (DRHC) continue through the summer. The second phase of the clinical spaces renovation project 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 is anticipated by the fall of 2024, therefore further increasing hospital capacity.

Work continues to bring the new Endoscopy suite, which was part of Phase 1, 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.

The initial phase also saw completion of the new cancer care unit on the hospital’s main floor. The new unit opened in January 2024.

Russell Health Centre (Cancer Care unit building expansion)

Russell Health Centre Cancer Care Unit Expansion. Exterior, Interior and Rendering

Construction on the addition to the Russell Health Centre for an expanded cancer care unit is complete. The expansion project added 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 former space and included:

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 a majority of the $2.9 million capital construction project. The Province contributed $700,000 for the remaining capital costs.

The new space went into operation for patients and staff July 15.

A grand opening ceremony is being planned for the near future.

Swan River CT scan project

The CT scanner was installed within the Swan Valley Health Centre in May. The new diagnostic equipment went into operation in mid-June. Two x-ray technologists have been trained to operate the scanner.

In addition to a provincial investment of more than $2 million, community groups raised more than $1 million towards the project, which includes equipment, installation and renovation of the space within Swan Valley Health Centre.

The CT scanner will service a population of approximately 14,000. Patients in the area previously had to travel to Dauphin, Brandon or Winnipeg for scans.

First phase of Dauphin Regional Health Centre renovations completed

New cancer care unit open; endoscopy suite next

Staff have full view of all patients during treatment

The first phase of significant renovations at the Dauphin Regional Health Centre is now complete, which provides a larger and more modern space welcoming cancer patients to receive the treatment they need.

As part of the project, space on the first floor of the hospital was renovated to accommodate an expanded CancerCare Manitoba (CCMB) unit. The renovated area on the first floor is 50 per cent larger, adds one new exam room for a total of two, and relocated five treatment spaces. The renovations were completed in late 2023 and the first patient was seen in early January 2024.

The new cancer care/chemotherapy unit offers other features, including:

Additional space and more patient privacy within the Unit;
Better treatment functionality, including much-improved nurse sightlines;
An enhanced medication preparation area;
Two larger patient examination spaces.

Prairie Mountain Health notes the adjacent endoscopy suite will begin operation very soon. This will relocate all endoscopy procedures out of the existing operating room, further freeing up operating space within the hospital, thereby increasing surgical capacity.

Second Phase

As part of phase two, renovations on the second and third floors of the hospital are now underway. Nine new beds (seven on the medical ward and two on the surgery ward) are being added which will increase capacity within the second largest acute care centre in Prairie Mountain Health region. With the move of the cancer care unit from the third floor, its former space will be renovated into a new physiotherapy unit, which includes occupational and physiotherapy.

It’s anticipated second phase renovations will be completed in late summer 2024.

Manitoba Premier & Stakeholders tour facility

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara and CancerCare Manitoba CEO Dr. Sri Navartnam were all in Dauphin January 24 to acknowledge the significance of the clinical space improvements.

“This renovation will not only mean more space for cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, it will add more endoscopy capacity, reduce surgery wait times and it will enhance the Dauphin Regional Health Centre to allow more patients from across the Parklands to access health care. It’s one more step in our government’s commitment to improving health care in the Parklands,” Kinew stated.

Representatives from the Province, CancerCare Manitoba (CCMB) and Prairie Mountain Health gather outside Dauphin Regional Health Centre January 24, 2024. From left are: Ron Kostyshyn (Minister of Agriculture and Dauphin MLA), Ruth Loewen, (CCMB Director, Community Oncology Program), Ken Borce, (CCMB Chief of Clinical Operations), Dr. Sri Navaratnam (President and CEO of CancerCare Manitoba), Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, Uzoma, Asagwara, Minister of Health, Seniors and Long Term Care, Brian Schoonbaert (CEO of Prairie Mountain Health) and Brent Gibson, (CCMB Chief of Corporate Services and Finance).

The hospital’s endoscopy services will also move to the main floor soon, minister Asagwara added. This will add one new procedure room and six pre-/post-recovery spaces. Once fully operational, up to 300 more endoscopies will be able to be performed at the site annually, while also freeing up space in operating rooms. This shift will help increase surgical capacity in Dauphin, the minister noted.

“Building both physical and human capacity is vital to sustaining cancer services,” said Dr. Sri Navaratnam, president and chief executive officer, CancerCare Manitoba. “I am very pleased that this renovation supports CCMB’s ability to continue to provide access to high-quality cancer services closer to where the patients live.”

“Working with its health partners and stakeholders, Prairie Mountain Health is pleased the initial phase of the clinical spaces transformation project has come to fruition,” said Brian Schoonbaert, chief executive officer, Prairie Mountain Health. As the second phase of the project proceeds, we are ensuring Dauphin Regional Health Centre continues to play a vital role in the provision of patient and client care regionally and provincially moving forward.”

PMH 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 November 1, 2023.

Brandon Regional Health Centre (BRHC)

Construction to expand and renovate clinical spaces within the BRHC campus is going well with work on the new Critical Care bed tower addition underway. Once completed the entire project will feature:

a new 16-bed Intensive Care Unit – main level.
approximately 30 additional medical beds on – the 2^nd floor.
3^rd floor – mechanical space.
4^th floor – shell space for potential future expansion.

The anticipated substantial completion for the Critical Care bed tower project is early 2026. As well, there is a planned renovation to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Western Manitoba Cancer Centre

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 substantial project completion is the spring 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 nearly double 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 substantial completion right now is sometime in 2026.

Dauphin Regional Health Centre

Renovations to the Dauphin Regional Health Centre (DRHC) are converting temporary Emergency Department space to enhanced patient care areas and a further increase in hospital inpatient capacity. This includes:

a new Endoscopy suite will relocate all endoscopy procedures out of the existing operating room, further free up operating space, and increase surgical capacity.
a new Chemotherapy unit, relocating the existing unit on the hospital’s third floor to the main floor.
adding nine additional inpatient beds (seven on medicine, two on surgery).

Phase 1 anticipated completion (Endoscopy/Chemotherapy) is expected in December 2023.

Phase 2 completion (hospital in-patient renovations) is anticipated in the summer of 2024.

Killarney, Virden and Souris Health Centres

Three additional Emergency Department (ED) renovations in Virden, Killarney and Souris are complete. We are currently preparing to enter the new space. This involved:

dedicated space for registration and triage for those attending the ED. This will provide 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 ED spaces will officially open in November 2023.

Russell Health Centre

Construction is well underway on the building addition to expand the cancer care unit at Russell Health Centre. Work on the $2.5 million project began in late spring and is anticipated to be completed in the spring of 2024.

Once complete, the project will add another 3,300 sq.-ft. to the health centre’s existing CancerCare Manitoba chemotherapy treatment space and 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.

PMH has collaborated with health partners and stakeholders for the necessary building planning, construction costs and associated timelines for this important capital project. The regional health authority will contribute annual operating costs for the expansion, including staffing and supplies.