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Be Part of Something Bigger

Alexander College will match donations from staff and students in support of Burnaby Hospital Foundation

A Brighter Future for Burnaby

From selflessly donating countless pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) throughout the pandemic, to their years of charitable giving, Alexander College has gone above and beyond to support Burnaby Hospital.

Thanks to their latest commitment, matching each donation made from Alexander College students and staff, there is no better time to contribute to a brighter future in healthcare, with each donation having double the impact towards the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Respirology Department at Burnaby Hospital.

A proud history

Burnaby Hospital is a community serving a community. Our family of nurses, doctors and health care professionals take great pride in their spirit of innovation and dedicated service to patients. But they are severely challenged in their ability to provide 21st century care in a hospital that was built in 1952 and has not been expanded since 1978.

Now the third largest city in B.C., the population of Burnaby alone has increased by 75 per cent since the late 1970s. What was once a small hospital now serves 500,000 people, the majority coming from the surrounding communities of Burnaby and East Vancouver.

The urgent need to grow

While the need for care continues to climb, along with our growing and aging population, our hospital has reached its capacity. The limited, older physical space poses many challenges that make it difficult to provide a modern environment that supports the need to serve more people, foster innovation and provide best practices in patient-centred care.

These challenges include: the lack of space to expand much-needed services, such as emergency and surgery; treatment areas that are too small for modern standards; specialized patient care services that are divided between different buildings; nursing units where most patients share rooms and bathrooms; a lack of dedicated waiting areas for patients and families; and a shortage of parking.

The first step to a bright future

The physical transformation will have an immediate impact on patients and families and provide our innovative care teams with the space and tools to do their best work.

A new six-floor patient-care tower will be modern, energy efficient and full of natural light. The new build will add 24 inpatient beds for medical patients and create state-of-the art space for all of the hospital’s maternity and newborn services. The tower will make it possible to create a unit designed for adults with mental health and substance use concerns.

The majority of new patient care rooms will be single rooms with a dedicated bathroom, providing patients and families with comfort and privacy as well as meeting modern standards for infection control.

At the same time, the existing Support Facilities Building will be expanded and extensively renovated to accommodate more patients and improve patient flow, including significant changes to the Emergency Department and operating room suite.

Phase One will also add more parking, making access easier for patients and visitors.

“Our organization believes strongly in the importance of philanthropy and our commitment to lead by example. Supporting the total transformation of Burnaby Hospital is a reflection of that commitment as well as an opportunity to recognize the importance of health care, which like education is a vital pillar of our community.”  

– Eric Zhao, Alexander College Co-Owner

“I like to think of us at Burnaby Hospital as a supportive family – one that never hesitates to help each other. It has been my privilege to work alongside dedicated physicians and medical staff in our ICU and Respirology Department to contribute to a healthy community. We need your support to help equip our redesigned spaces in Burnaby Hospital with the latest equipment so that we can provide you with the most up-to-date patient care when you need it.”

– Dr. Susan Kwan, 
Burnaby Hospital, Medical Director of Respirology
Former Medical Director of Intensive Care Unit and Internal Medicine

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