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South Okanagan Photos

Penticton Tower – is the situation shaky?

rdos logo-colourSupport for the PRH Building Patient Care Project

RECOMMENDATION:

That the Okanagan Similkameen Regional Hospital District (OSRHD) endorse the urgent need for the “Building Patient Care in the South Okanagan-Similkameen” Project at the Penticton Regional Hospital; and, That the Board request letters of support for the Project from all member municipalities, electoral areas and Indian bands within the OSRHD area; and, That the Board encourage the Interior Health Authority (IHA) to complete the Business Case and submit it to the Province for funding by the end of 2014; and, That the Board advise the Province of their commitment to provide 40% of the Project cost and continue to advocate for the Province to include Provincial funds to commence construction of the Project in the 2015 Budget.

HISTORY:

IHA completed a Master Plan for the Penticton Regional Hospital in 2002, a Functional Program Review in 2008 and a Conceptual Plan in 2012, all critical to the construction of a patient care facility for the south Okanagan-Similkameen. The preparation of the Business Case for the Project is currently out for proposals and it is anticipated to be complete in 2014. That removes the last hurdle prior to a submission to the Ministry of Health for their selection process on what projects to send to Treasury Board for Capital Health funding, hopefully for the 2015 Budget.

A Steering Committee has been created by IHA to oversee the Business Case, with the Chair of the OSRHD, the Acting Mayor of Penticton and the Mayor of Oliver as appointees.

The Chair, with the assistance of Rick Thorpe, has created a Task Force to support IHA with advancing the Business Case and to continue to advocate with the Minister of Health to have the project put forward to Treasury Board for the Provincial Budget as soon as reasonably possible.

This resolution to be debated Thursday at RDOS.

OSRHD has requested a meeting with the Minister of Health at UBCM to discuss the project and believe it important to go in with a resolution of support from all member municipalities, electoral areas and Indian Bands in the Region to re-affirm the commitment for the Patient Care Tower at the Penticton Regional Hospital and show the wide support for the project.