St. Paul’s Hospital project lead tells West End residents to call 911 in a medical emergency
St. Paul’s Hospital is leaving the West End, taking with it the only emergency room in Vancouver’s downtown core.
So what are West End residents supposed to do in a medical emergency?
The man leading the project to relocate the Providence Health Care facility has a suggestion.
“The best way to handle an emergency is to dial 911,” Neil MacConnell said today (April 13) during the announcement of a brand-new hospital expected to open in 2022 at False Creek Flats.
“There will always be emergency services for the West End,” MacConnell assured.
Dialling 911 is key “because even if you live in the West End, the best hospital for you,” according to MacConnell, “might not be St. Paul’s because Vancouver General might be the best hospital to go to”.
MacConnell was also pressed during a question-and-answer session with media about the minimum level of health-care services that West End residents can expect will remain in the neighbourhood once St. Paul’s is gone.
“The bare minimum will be that we’ll have the right conversation to get them the right space and the right place,” said MacConnell.
He also noted that while 19 percent of city ER visits are from the West End, 80 percent of these cases are determined to be not urgent in nature.
Providence Health Care chair Geoff Plant acknowledged in a prepared speech that St. Paul’s is a “cherished” institution in the West End.
“The redevelopment planning will therefore include consultation and a continuation of key primary health services, either at the existing St. Paul’s site or in the West End,” Plant said.
“We will look at what services West End residents use most from St. Paul’s Hospital, and we will work with the neighbourhood and with health-care partners to determine which services need to remain in the West End,” Plant said.
According to the former B.C. attorney general, the provincial Ministry of Health will provide $500 million for the development of the new hospital at Station Street.
The project is expected to cost at least $1 billion. Providence Health Care will raise the balance needed.
“It is a plan for redevelopment that most importantly puts the patient at the centre of care,” Plant said.
Plant also said: “This new St. Paul’s will be a catalyst for helping realize the Ministry of Health’s strategic vision of improving primary community and residential care, while investing in services for those with moderate to severe mental illnesses, addictions, dementia, and chronic care concerns.”
Comments
15 Comments
Natty
Apr 13, 2015 at 1:47pm
I can understand some of the decisions behind the move, but to leave the downtown core without emergency hospital services? No other "world class" city would think of doing such a thing. Also, the new location is really close to VGH (2.8 km according to Google Maps). I would think if you built a new hospital that perhaps having it further east near Hastings would make sense. Though that would mean some kind of emergency services would still be needed for downtown.
ursa minor
Apr 13, 2015 at 2:18pm
The new location is also really close to the other Providence Hospital in Vancouver, Mount St. Joseph's, which leads me to believe that when all is said and done, Vancouver is going to be short (at least) one hospital.
Makes Sense
Apr 13, 2015 at 3:54pm
@Natty,
St. Paul's is also close to VGH - so what (if any) is your point? It's not like the hospital is moving to the other side of the city. The downtown core of Vancouver is tiny compared to other 'world class cities'. The new hospital is moving from the west side of the downtown core to the east side. My god you'd think that you were being left out in the wilderness with no food or water. Sheesh!
George2
Apr 13, 2015 at 3:58pm
Change is always a little scary but I wonder how they propose to transport emergency patients from the downtown core to Station Street in a timely manner? That trip is already slow but now imagine it without the VIADUCTS, many more traffic lights and a million more residents. I'm just saying unless you strap grandma to a drone it isn't gonna be fast.
Myrtle Upchuck
Apr 13, 2015 at 5:11pm
The Main and Terminal area is nasty and dangerous. Having a hospital there is only convenient for local stabbings. Ordinary people will feel very nervous seeking health care services in that area. Fragile people will be easy mugging victims. Late shift health care workers will also be vulnerable to attacks. As far as seismic concerns go, Main and Terminal is old land fill. It is swamp land and turns into Jello during a quake. What a stupid idea!
Great news!
Apr 13, 2015 at 7:50pm
A state of the art facility 3km away from the current site is fantastic. The current site doesn't just service the West End. The entire region uses the hospital. People whining about this are forgetting that you will have two hospitals within 3 km of the old facility. If you are worried about bridges then you still have pacific, Pender and Hastings to get you to the new hospital in 10min.
Naturalmystic
Apr 13, 2015 at 8:25pm
Other major cities without hospitals in their downtown core:
Edmonton
Calgary
The sky hasn't fallen in either city.
Just more self entitled whinging by west enders. You know who has to drive to a hospital about 90% of Vancouver.
Person of the People for the People
Apr 13, 2015 at 9:05pm
Have your voices heard! Vancouver's core is not "tiny"! Stand up, People, and say NO!
Facts for Naturalmystic
Apr 14, 2015 at 11:39am
The sky hasn't fallen in Edmonton or Calgary because very few people live in the downtown core of either of those cities:
From Wikipedia:
Edmonton - 13,148 downtown residents out of a population of 812,201
Calgary - 8,071 downtown residents out of a population of 1,195,194
By comparison, the combined population and the West End according to the City of Vancouver 2011 census is NINETY-NINE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY-THREE, over 1/6 of Vancouver's population.
Add the high volumes of people who work downtown, plus tourists and other visitors and that number goes even higher. As for your "90% of Vancouver" - where exactly do you think the highest volume of people are going to be located in the city in the event of a disaster, and where the most medical assistance will be needed?
Mathematics and Probability do a lot of things, but they don't whine.
supershy1
Apr 14, 2015 at 12:18pm
@Naturalmystic - You're comparing Vancouver to EDM and Calgary? really?
It's not only the West End that St.Paul caters to: there's coal harbour, downtown core, and DTES. Plus surrounding areas. In case of an emergency, you're asking people to travel quite a ways to seek emergency help.
It's not just that they're moving the hospital, it's yet another broken electoral promise by the Liberal government and we BC'ers have to once again, kowtow to the whims of this government.