A Bright Future For Burnaby Hospital
Better Care Close to home
Our community has relied upon Burnaby Hospital for compassionate care close to home since 1952 – everything from the birth of our children to care for our elderly family members. Burnaby Hospital’s talented and dedicated staff have always been there for you, overcoming challenges like a global pandemic and aging facilities, to provide exceptional patient care.
We are inspired by our community contributing more than 13,000 gifts to raise over $30 million to date. But there is still more to do. The Bright Future Campaign: Better Care Close to Home, focuses on bringing necessary improvements and expansion of our Intensive Care, Medical Imaging, Inpatient Oncology and Cardiac Telemetry Departments.
Your donation today ensures that our hospital has access to state-of-the-art equipment and technology so when you, a family member, or a friend needs care, Burnaby Hospital is ready. You can help us reach our goal and transform Burnaby Hospital into a modern campus of care for our families today and for the generations to come.
Let The Beedie Family Double Your Donation!
Betty Beedie and her son, Ryan, will match your donations up to $4 million towards Burnaby Hospital’s redevelopment. The matching gift is the second major contribution to the campaign by the Beedie family, who have now pledged a total of $12 million towards Burnaby Hospital Foundation in the past three years.
In recognition of their extraordinary support, the initial naming of the 6-storey Pavilion in Phase One will transition to the 12-storey Acute Care Tower in Phase Two, which will now be named the Keith and Betty Beedie Acute Care Tower.
Medical Imaging
More than 100,000 patients are seen annually by Burnaby Hospital’s Medical Imaging (MI) department.
From standard X-rays to innovative cameras used in nuclear medicine, MI is an essential part of effective health care. Ultrasounds for expectant mothers, CT scans for people with head trauma, and echocardiograms for heart attack survivors are all part of this department.
Today, many of our MI machines use outdated technology. Some of our X-ray machines are 20 years old. They are slower and lack the image quality of modern equipment, making fast and comprehensive diagnoses a challenge. This means patients may wait longer for results.
A dedicated CT scanner and X-ray machine in the Emergency Department is a way we help reduce wait times for test results. And women needing mammography services will no longer have to travel outside of Burnaby once the new Breast Imaging Centre opens at Burnaby Hospital.
In addition, Burnaby Hospital does not currently have any mammography services, women must travel to other facilities in the region. With the redevelopment, we will have cutting-edge tools, such as interventional radiology equipment, which will be less invasive and often provide immediate relief for patients.
Our Bright Future Campaign will transform and modernize the Medical Imaging Department with additions such as:
• CT scanner and X-ray machine for exclusive use in the Emergency Department
• A new Breast Imaging Centre with two diagnostics mammography and two breast ultrasound rooms
• Additional ultrasound and echocardiography rooms
• An additional interventional radiology room
• Three SPEC/CT cameras for cutting-edge nuclear medicine scans
Inpatient Oncology Unit
Visits to Burnaby Hospital’s Outpatient Oncology Unit have increased by about 10 percent since 2019, from 14,500 to more than 16,000 in 2022.
Unfortunately, our current Outpatient Clinic does not provide continuous care in a single location needed by patients today – nor will it accommodate expected demand. Currently, the clinic is open only during the week from 9 to 5, which means our sickest inpatients need to move between different floors and departments every night. And too many patients and families feel uncomfortable in the clinic’s current spaces that lack privacy. Without an around-the-clock Inpatient Oncology Unit with dedicated rooms and beds, our patients, their loved ones, and medical staff endure unnecessary inefficiency and stress.
The redevelopment brings a new always-open unit where patients will receive personalized care at every stage of their cancer journey in one place. It will bring together our teams of doctors, chemotherapy-certified nurses, social workers, dietitians and volunteers. Patients will remain at our unit throughout their visit and undergo more complex treatments in their own private rooms, large enough for visiting family and friends. Following chemotherapy, the unit’s dedicated medical teams will provide patients with specialized care, including the management of side effects.
Our Bright Future Campaign will create an Inpatient Oncology Unit where patients and their families have 24/7 care close to home with the addition of:
• Eight dedicated beds
• IV pumps
• Special refrigeration
• Blanket warmers
• Portable ultrasound machines
• Automatic weigh scales
Intensive Care Unit
In 2022, Burnaby Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) cared for 521 patients, double the number from the previous year.
Yet, the lack of specialized beds, adequate space and life-saving equipment, particularly ventilators in our ICU, often means that critically ill patients must wait for treatment.
Our sickest and most vulnerable patients are moved to different units, waiting for space and a bed in the ICU, while others may wait for a transfer to another hospital – no matter how far away – that has the equipment and beds to treat them. Even minutes of delayed treatment can be critical for patients.
We will transform our ICU, including our Critical Care Unit, with new equipment and private spaces designed for 16 beds so that patients get the care they need as soon as possible. Timely treatment is crucial, and instead of waiting, our loved ones will get specialized, time-sensitive care close to home.
Our Bright Future Campaign will expand the capacity of the ICU to better serve critically ill patients with additions such as:
• Single patient rooms – ensuring privacy and respect for our patients, their families and visitors
• Life-saving ventilators with cutting-edge technology and comfort for patients requiring mechanical ventilation — needed by so many during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Airborne isolation rooms with anti-chambers – meeting pandemic-era standards for infection control
• Bariatric beds and equipment — providing mobility aid and comfort
Cardiac Telemetry Unit
In 2022, over 825 patients visited the Cardiac Telemetry Unit (CTU) at Burnaby Hospital.
As more families move into the communities surrounding the hospital, some with complex health issues, more people will rely on Cardiac Telemetry. Cardiac Telemetry is found in many departments such as the Emergency Department and Intensive Care Unit, where specialized machines are used to help staff monitor patients closely.
Today, patients at Burnaby Hospital who have complex cardiac issues and require continuous monitoring are treated with outdated technology and equipment. Staff must set up machines at each patient’s bedside to provide monitoring for treatment, then remove them to download results. Often the process requires a manual component to record data, and sometimes information will be missed – older cardiac telemetry equipment is designed for monitoring and not for easy documentation. Valuable time is lost, and not enough data is captured.
The new unit will have single rooms, providing privacy for patients and enough space for visiting families. New telemetry beds will be hardwired with modern cardiac monitoring equipment, allowing for easier use, better data capture and quicker access to information.
There will also be high acuity beds for patients on anti-arrhythmic medications and requiring a higher level of cardiac care. Instead of being transferred to Intensive Care or another cardiac unit at a different hospital, Burnaby Hospital now will be equipped to provide care for high acuity patients close to home.
Our Bright Future Campaign will transform how patients receive cardiac care at Burnaby Hospital by expanding capacity of the Cardiac Telemetry Unit with additions such as:
• Beds with built-in cardiac telemetry equipment with increased monitoring and data-capture technology
• Beds dedicated to high acuity cardiac patients
• Bariatric beds and equipment – providing mobility and comfort
• Airborne isolation rooms with anti-chambers – meeting pandemic-era standards for infection control
“For the patient, Medical Imaging equipment provides quality images to aid in detecting diseases and conditions, allowing for earlier interventions and improved patient care outcomes.”
Dana Patterson, Medical Imaging Site Coordinator
“Patients who come to our Oncology Unit may have complex care requirements, so an improved facility with a dedicated In-patient Oncology Unit is a dream come true. Patients who require around-the-clock care will be able to stay in the unit and receive the specialized care they need. It will be a huge change for Burnaby Hospital, and as a nurse, I am excited for the positive impact this will have on many of our patients and their families.”
Kay Unrau, RN, Patient Care Co-Ordinator Oncology Unit
“Because there are not enough ICU beds, we see people waiting in the ER on another floor, not the places where they should be to get the care they need. With more people calling Burnaby home, the ICU needs more beds not only for us now, but for families in the future as well.”
Danielle Frigo, RN, MSN, BSN, Clinical Nurse Educator, Intensive Care Unit
“There has been a substantial increase of cardiac issues among Burnaby’s aging population in the past several years. More beds with built-in cardiac telemetry equipment will make a real difference by letting us monitor heart conditions in real time. And that’s a proactive approach when caring for our patients with serious cardiac conditions.”
Joyce Munroe, RCT, Clinical Supervisor, Diagnostic Cardiology
How it Started: Phase One
The Burnaby Hospital redevelopment construction: Phase One, set off in 2022 and is projected to be completed in 2025. 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 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.
Burnaby Hospital’s Emergency Department currently provides services to over 50% more patients than it was designed for.
Phase One will add 10,000 square feet of new space, making it possible to expand and re-configure the current department and purchase innovative equipment and technology. The changes will mean the team will be able to serve more patients and reduce wait times. As well as improving patient flow in Phase One, many of the new treatment bays will have walls instead of curtains for privacy and increased separation from other patients. In total, the Emergency Department will add more treatment bays by the end of Phase Two, an increase of 30 per cent.
Other changes include a specialized zone for patients with mental health and substance use, the addition of new trauma rooms for the most critically ill patients and improved waiting areas for patients and families.
The Emergency Department will also benefit from the additional inpatient beds that will be opened in the tower, as there will be more space for patients who need to be admitted.
Burnaby Hospital performs about 15,000 surgeries and minor procedures each year, including specialized services, such as joint replacement and sinus surgery.
Expanding and significantly improving the existing operating suite in the Support Facilities Building will make it possible to reduce wait times and increase access to surgery and procedures in an environment that accommodates today’s advances in care and technology.
When the transformation is complete, our hospital will have nine operating rooms, including four brand-new larger rooms. The operating suite will also have five procedure rooms, additional recovery and waiting areas for patients, and more room for support services.
The tower is an opportunity to bring all of the hospital’s maternity and newborn services together in one place to streamline and improve care for families. Everything from maternity clinics and inpatient services for moms and babies to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit will be on one floor with easy access to the operating room.
As a brand-new maternity centre, we’ll also be able to provide single room maternity care, a modern approach to birthing where moms go through labour, deliver their babies and recover for the rest of their stay in the same well-equipped, comfortable room, supported by the same team of caregivers. Each single room will have a private bathroom and a space for partners to stay overnight.
Burnaby’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit team cares for babies who are born at Burnaby or transferred here from other locations because they are premature or have a health concern that requires specialized monitoring or treatment. Some babies need this care for several months, and parents may spend many hours a day in this unit where all six babies are in one large room. The new unit will have single rooms for more privacy and comfort for families—there will be space for a parent to stay the night near to baby, privacy for breastfeeding and lots of natural light. Providing neonatal intensive care in single rooms is also the best practice for hospital infection control.
Formerly an extended care unit for frail seniors, the current 25-bed space does not meet the special needs of patients, including teenagers as well as adults, that suffer from a variety of mental health concerns. Only 16 per cent of the 25 beds are located in single rooms. With little private space, all patients are disturbed by noise or the behaviour of patients who are acutely ill, and the shared bathrooms do not meet modern infection control standards. In addition, the unit has only one large lounge for recreation activities and meals.
The new unit will have comfortable single rooms with private bathrooms located around a central nurses’ station. Special features include: a sensory intervention room equipped with tools to help patients calm themselves, minimizing the use of medications; a safe outdoor patio for fresh air, activities and family visits; separate activity rooms to accommodate different groups and ages of patients for recreation activities; and private meeting spaces for counselling or family visits.
