Three companies have qualified to compete for the contract to build the new patient care tower at Penticton Regional Hospital.
The request for qualification process wrapped up in November and out of the six teams that responded, three were shortlisted.
The winning team will be responsible for the design, build, partial financing, and maintenance of the new patient care tower at PRH.
“Today’s announcement is one more step forward on the path to a new patient care tower for residents of the South Okanagan,” said Health Minister Terry Lake. “The new facility is a great example of the investments we are making in communities across the province to strengthen health-care service delivery for patients and families.”
Following evaluation of the responses, the three teams invited to move on to the Request for Proposal (RFP) stage are:
- Ellis Don Infrastructure
- Plenary Health
- Tandem Health Partners
“Each completed stage of the competitive selection process brings us closer to the start of construction,” said Penticton MLA Dan Ashton. “The new patient care tower is eagerly anticipated by our community and I’m looking forward to seeing the first shovel in the ground."
The project team was pleased with the number of responses, noting that the respondent teams included several local, regional, national and international design and construction firms.
“Interior Health is committed to quality patient care for residents of the South Okanagan and Similkameen,” said Norman Embree, Interior Health board chair. “The expansion of PRH is a priority for us and I am pleased that the procurement process is progressing on schedule.”
The RFP is expected to be released to the short-listed proponents in February 2015.
The total budget for the project is $325 million. It will be funded jointly by the provincial government, with $122 million provided by the Okanagan-Similkameen Regional Hospital District and $20 million provided by the South Okanagan Similkameen Medical Foundation.
“It’s great to be closing 2014 having reached another major milestone on the road to the new patient care tower,” said Janice Perrino, Executive Director of the South Okanagan Similkameen Medical Foundation. “As we prepare to start into our major fundraising campaign for $20 million, we appreciate all of the support we receive from residents across the South Okanagan and Similkameen – we certainly couldn’t do this without them.”
This project includes two phases. Phase one is construction of the new patient care tower which will include an ambulatory care centre, surgical services centre, 84 medical/surgical inpatient beds in single patient rooms, a new medical device reprocessing unit, and space for the UBC Faculty of Medicine program. The tower will be approximately 26,700 square metres (287,500 square feet). Phase two (not part of this competitive selection process) involves the renovation of vacated areas in the existing hospital to allow for an expanded emergency department almost four times the size of the current department, plus renovations to the pharmacy, stores and laundry areas.
Construction is expected to start in 2016 with the new tower opening in 2019. The project is expected to create more than 1,910 direct and indirect jobs for workers over the life of the project.
The competitive selection process is being managed by Partnerships BC.
Interior Health is committed to promoting healthy lifestyles and providing a wide range of quality health-care services to more than 742,000 people living across B.C.’s vast interior. For more information on this project, visit www.buildingpatientcare.ca, or follow them on Twitter @Interior_Health.