Behind the scenes, an extraordinary effort is underway to prepare for Royal Columbian Hospital’s new centrepiece building: the Jim Pattison Acute Care Tower, a transformational addition scheduled to open early 2026. Teams are bringing in equipment, testing systems and carefully planning the move of people, programs and technology into the new building. It’s a massive undertaking that reflects the same precision and dedication that define Royal Columbian’s role as a critical care leader for the province.

Royal Columbian is already B.C.’s most comprehensive critical care centre. It is the only hospital in the province that combines trauma, cardiac, neurosciences, high-risk maternity and neonatal intensive care all at one site. This unique combination means patients arrive here in their most urgent, life-altering moments, from severe injuries and complex heart attacks to premature births and time-sensitive strokes. The new Jim Pattison Acute Care Tower brings space, technology and design together to transform how these services are delivered, reaffirming Royal Columbian’s role as a provincial leader in patient care.

Transforming emergency and trauma care

Royal Columbian’s Emergency Department is among the busiest in the province, with nearly 88,000 visits each year. The new department, located on Level 1 of the tower, will more than double in size and feature 75 modern treatment rooms to enhance privacy and safety.

For the first time, patients will be directed into one of five specialized treatment zones depending on their needs — including a dedicated space for pediatrics — replacing the shared waiting area found in the current space. With four trauma bays and a medical imaging suite built directly into the ER, caregivers will be able to diagnose and treat patients faster, particularly in cases where seconds make the difference.

Intervening when seconds count

Level 2 of the tower will feature a new interventional “superfloor,” one of the first of its kind in Canada. By bringing together operating rooms, cardiac catheterization labs and interventional radiology suites, the floor will enable faster collaboration between teams.

With 17 operating rooms, including a robotics-enabled OR, three cardiac ORs, and three hybrid ORs, as well as eight interventional suites, this floor will place cutting-edge technology at the fingertips of specialists treating heart attacks, strokes, trauma and other complex emergencies.

Expanding critical care

On Level 4, the new tower will more than double Royal Columbian’s critical care capacity, growing from 40 to 84 beds. These will be distributed across the Intensive Care Unit, Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit and a new 17-bed Cardiac Intensive Care Unit dedicated to critically ill cardiac patients.

Royal Columbian is the busiest cardiac centre in B.C., performing more open-heart surgeries and treating more severe heart attacks than any other hospital in the province. These new units will be equipped with advanced monitoring technology, specialized design features and even an outdoor patio and smudging room to support patients and families during their most difficult journeys.

Care for families

The tower also emphasizes family-centered care. Level 5 will bring obstetrics and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) together on one floor. The NICU’s 24 single-family rooms will provide privacy and comfort for families caring for the smallest and most fragile newborns, while a new Obstetrics Unit will include private birthing suites, obstetrical operating rooms and family quiet rooms. For parents, this means the opportunity to stay by their newborn’s side, day and night.

Looking ahead

When it opens, the Jim Pattison Acute Care Tower will stand as a crown jewel of healthcare in B.C., designed to meet today’s needs and built with tomorrow’s challenges in mind.

Spanning 10 stories, the tower brings together all of the highlights described earlier and more. At the very top, a new rooftop helipad will provide access for patients arriving by air ambulance in life-threatening situations.

For patients and families, the tower will mean faster access, greater privacy and the very best in specialized care. For the hospital community, it represents the beginning of an exciting new chapter in Royal Columbian’s history of serving patients at their most critical moments.

Original source: ca