The Phil and Jennie Gaglardi Tower (Photo via Abby Zieverink)

Finishing touches are being completed inside the new Phil & Jennie Gaglardi Tower at Royal Inland Hospital, as its set to start accepting patients on July 18.

The new nine-story tower includes among other things new operating rooms, mental health and substance spaces, new labour and delivery rooms, a neurosciences and trauma unit, and a rooftop helipad.

Royal Inland Hospital Foundation CEO Heidi Coleman says there is also a brand new newborn intensive care unit (NICU).

“Which is really incredibly different than what we currently have. We have eight private rooms for families where parent parents can sleep with their kids in the current NICU,” Coleman said.

She says the facility has been designed from a patient-centered perspective, adding that the single-patient rooms seen throughout the tower will help in patient recovery.

“The idea is to get people to feel better in their single room you’re not sharing with someone else. So it’s great for infection control. It’s great to be able to sleep, so hopefully, people will get better and go home.”

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Coleman adds that their hope of having a hospital tower in Kamloops with modern state-of-the-art technology will help recruit and retain nurses and physicians.

“We have surgeons go through and they say ‘Wow this is huge, we have brand new equipment, new lights, everything off the floor,'” she explained. “It’s really helping recruit new surgeons to town, so we should all be very proud.”

Coleman suggests the tower was built with staff in mind, noting healthcare professionals at RIH also gave input on some of the design.

“We have a beautiful fifth floor which is just dedicated to staff, it’s got two beautiful terraces, gorgeous locker rooms, places for big staff kitchens, and places for people to have breaks.”

Indigenous communities in the area have also been engaged in design elements including a cultural mural, set to be installed before the July 18 opening.

Construction on the patient care tower – the largest capital project in the history of Kamloops – began in the fall of 2018. With a price tag of $417 million, it included a $15-million donation from the Gaglardi family.

Interior Health Capital Planning and Projects Communications Consultant Kevin Parnell the Gaglardi Tower was completed both on time and within budget.

“The opening date was summer 2022 right from the start, and we’re proud to say that it will open on time in summer 2022,” Parnell told NL News.

“Our crews worked exceptionally hard through COVID in safe and distancing outside and, and managed to keep this project moving forward all through not only COVID but fires and floods and all the different emergencies.”

Following the opening, Phase 2 of the RIH project – renovations on the existing emergency department at Royal Inland Hospital – will get underway, with an expected completion date sometime in 2024.

Parnell says the hope is that the facility becomes a comfortable, healing environment for patients.

“You can notice as you tour through the different colors on the floors, they’re not institutional colors, what you might think of a hospital, there are bright colors, there’s lots of natural light,” he said. “And you’re right, it’s a nice atmosphere and we think that Kamloops and everyone in the region are going to be just thrilled to have this facility.”

Addressing staffing the new tower, Parnell says staff currently working at RIH will be moving from the current facility into the tower.

“The tower will be staffed and we’ll have it operational July 18,” he said, noting the new tower will help recruit and retain skilled health care professionals.

“We’re really hoping that it retains our amazing healthcare professionals and that we’re able to attract even more that want to come to a great place like Kamloops.”