People in the North Cariboo will have better access to health care at GR Baker Memorial Hospital as construction completes on a new emergency department and intensive care unit (ICU).
The new addition was built on the territory of the Lhtako Dene Nation and will open on April 14, 2023. The provincial government invested $27 million in the project through Northern Health and the Cariboo Chilcotin Regional Hospital District.
“The redeveloped GR Baker Memorial Hospital will have more space and the latest technology, so people can get the care when they need it in a modern environment,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “The hospital has served the region well for more than 60 years and, with these upgrades, it will continue to offer high-quality care for decades to come.”
The new emergency department and ICU are bigger and are located together, making it easier for patients and staff to move around. The emergency department has a triage area, two exam rooms, a two-bay trauma and resuscitation room, an isolation and exam area, a psychiatric observation room, and an ambulance garage. The ICU has five treatment spaces, instead of the previous four, and there is also a private waiting area for families.
“This new emergency department and intensive care unit will help meet the needs of a growing region as more people look to access care close to home,” said Jennifer Rice, Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Health.
