Burns Lake, B.C.-  The new Lakes District Hospital is now complete, but it will be a couple of weeks before it starts receiving patients.

The $55 million dollar facility was completed months ahead of schedule.

The new hospital has 16 beds and will provide acute care and emergency services, diagnostic imaging, lab services and pharmacy. A medical clinic will offer primary, outpatient and acute care, along with the delivery of mental health and addictions and public health, as well as home- and community-care services.

The facility is a two-storey building totaling approximately 6,100 square metres (65,000 square feet). The hospital is a green and energy-efficient facility designed to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Gold certification.

The project was officially announced in April 2012, and the first big milestone was the move of the old nurses’ residence in December 2012. The groundbreaking ceremony for the project was held on April 12, 2013, with excavation of the site. Construction began in January 2014 with substantial completion of the hospital in December 2014. Current hospital services will transition into the new hospital and be open to patients in early February 2015.