$9.9M Learning Centre For UHNBC
Future Learning Centre will go next to Jubilee Lodge, covering one row of parking
Prince George, BC – The BC Liberal Government has made good on a long-promised Learning and Development Centre at the University Hospital of Northern BC – approving $9.9-million dollars in funding for the facility, which will go up at the hospital.
The project has been on the books for almost a decade now, as a key pillar in the Northern Medical Program. The centre will include a library, seminar rooms, a simulation lab, video conferencing suites, and common areas. (Photo above shows Dr. Paul Winwood, NH COO Michael McMillan, MLA Shirley Bond, NH Board Chair Dr. Charles Jago, UNBC President George Iwama, and NH CEO Cathy Ulrich)
Northern Health’s Board Chair, Dr. Charles Jago, admits the centre has been a long time coming, saying it’s been in the plans for the NMP since about 2002. "And then when they built the medical program in Kelowna, they had a learning facility, so we were feeling a bit left out and now it’s being done."
Jago says he’s not sure why the project took so long to come to fruition, but says, "I’m glad, frankly, in hindsight, that it did take so long because I think we have a better sense of the kind of facility we need."
UNBC’s Vice-Provost of Medicine, Dr. Paul Winwood, says the centre will be critical in retaining and recruiting physicians in the north. Dr. Winwood says having a medical program is just part of that solution, "If we have a modern, state-of-the-art education centre with up-to-date facilities for video conference learning; for small group learning; new IT-based learning, it will go a long way to making people want to come and work here."
"And it’s not just about bringing our own students back, which of course, I’m very keen to do," says Winwood. "But it’s also about recruiting new physicians from outside of Prince George because if they see something like that – and I can speak to that because that’s one of the reasons I came to Prince George. I went to UNBC, I saw the medical program, I saw the 5th floor here (at UHNBC) the clinical teaching space and I was bowled over by it. I thought it was amazing – but we don’t have that for medical education as a whole here."
The original education centre at the hospital had been housed in a portable on the spot where the new Cancer Centre now sits. Since construction began on that facility, Northern Health’s Chief Operating Officer, Michael McMillan, says, "We actually are squeezing teaching space in all over the place – little nooks and crannies all over this building – but we don’t really have any large space that we can bring 30 or 40 or 50 people together in decent space."
McMillan says, "This is transformative for the organization, in terms of really living up to the name of a teaching hospital."
The new centre will be built parallel to Jubilee Lodge, just outside the hospital’s main entrance, and is expected to eat up one row in the existing parking lot. However, McMillan says, "We’re actually going to re-create that (parking) in the back of the campus, where the Nechako Building is – that building is coming down."
In a seperate project, Northern Health has determined the old nurses’ residence has outlived its usefulness and does not warrant a capital investment. It’s slated to be demolished.
A tender for the Learning and Development Centre will be issued this summer, with the project set to be complete by the summer of 2014.
Comments
They sure are spending our tax dollars in their last days.
Well, if it does not get finished before the election the NDP can transform it into a bigger unemployment insurance and training building for all the jobs that will be lost when the NDP return to power !
Boon – simple minded scare tactics are the last resort of those that have no real ammunition. Just look up the governments own numbers and you will find you are out in left field on that one. Maybe you can bring up fast ferries or something so we can talk about the over the top record cost over runs of the Fiberals!
your correct boon
“Who’s the more foolish, the fool or the fool who follows it ?”
[star wars]
Boon – put a women’s rehab centre in there ;)
Where will everyone park?? It’ already congested around there and now they want to expand?? It’s not like there is a shortage of empty land in PG….
Talking about job loss with an NDP government is not a scare tactic. If you do not remember the last go round with them at the helm than you either have a very short memory or work in the public sector. Anyone who has an income tied to forestry, mining, construction or the service of those industries remembers full well how the NDP ground the province to a halt last time…
Build it like the library and you will save the parking lot and there will be less upkeep as they won’t need to do snow removal. I would think that back parking where the old nurses res will be for staff as there is not enough parking for all the nurses at this time as I don’t see how vistors, etc will be able to access the main hospital. There is an entrance there but it is private between the hospital and the old nurses res but it is private.
The learning centre is badly needed in PG. Building it behind the hospital and close to the Northern Cancer Centre is an ideal location. There should be more parking space freed up once the old nurses’ residence is demolished. Thanks to the BC Liberals for making good on this long standing promise.
I thought the last major expansion at the University was for Medical Education and learning???
“Maybe you can bring up fast ferries…”
The fact of the matter is that it was a colossal waste of taxpayers’ money – the BCNDP shrunk to two seats in the Legislature because B.C. was so terribly thrilled with all the ‘Gates’ including the totally useless ferries. The BC Liberals are far from perfect but the NDP proved itself much worse.
The cost was added to the provincial debt so we still have to pay for it.
If the Nechako Building is coming down why not build it there? Removing parking space at the front is a bad idea as the average person will not think of looking behind the hospital for a spot.
More tax dollars down the drain. They say that they don’t have any space, however it seems they had no problem locating a Tim Hortons in the hospital. In addition they had half a floor that was used for Chemotherapy, that is now empty because Chemo, moved to the new cancer building.
Are they really short of space, or are they blowing smoke.
As for parking. What a laugh. Huge parking facilities for doctors, and staff, however, only about twelve spaces for clients of the Cancer Clinic. So what gives. Do we have only twelve people in Prince George that have cancer and use this facility, or somewhat like City Hall, we provide robust parking for those on the public dole, and nothing for those who pay the salaries of those on the dole.
Uh Palopu the Tim Hortons just happens to be located in the cafeteria so what real estate does it take up? Ever been there? So with that inaccuracy I take the rest of your comment with a grain of salt.
NDP hopefully will abort this redundant project.
They can move the whole hospital to the top of the hill to be close to the UBC operated medical program there and learning facilities and move a smaller version of UNBC (minus UBC medical program) to the hospital’s place to revitalize the downtown area.
seamutt. Are you saying that the Tim Hortons space is equivalent to the space used by the cafeteria??? Somehow I think it is substantially larger.
Take the rest of my comment with a grain of salt if you chose, however facts are facts. The chemotherapy unit took up the North Eastern portion of the second floor above the entrance to the hospital. They are now located in the new cancer clinic, and some sort of construction is taking place in their old digs. Soooooo. Enjoy your salt.
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