Dartmouth General Hospital Renovation Reaches Another Milestone

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NOTE TO EDITORS: Karen Mumford, senior director, QEII Redevelopment Project, Nova Scotia Health Authority, is available for media interviews from 10 a.m. to noon today. Call or email the media contacts to make arrangements.

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Thirty-five patients moved into newly renovated space at Dartmouth General Hospital this week.

“I’d like to thank both patients and staff at the hospital who may have experienced some inconvenience during the renovations to modernize and update this facility,” said Premier Stephen McNeil. “The completion of this phase, means we are at the halfway point in the renovations to the third and fourth floors.”

The renovations included:
— new central control centres where staff can work more efficiently as a team on patient care
— upgrades to patient rooms and washrooms that better accommodate those in wheelchairs and walkers
— new handwashing sinks in hallways for health-care workers
— new utility rooms where medical equipment can be safely cleaned and sterilized that will save nurses’ time and enhance infection control

“The third floor, east wing renovations will make a huge difference for our patients, their families and our staff,” said Adrienne Malloy, president of the Dartmouth General Hospital Foundation. “We are pleased, through the generosity of our donors, to be part of a project that is helping to enhance care at our hospital.”

This is the second of four units to be renovated. The project will cost about $6.5 million over two years. The Department of Health and Wellness has committed $4.85 million towards the project with the Dartmouth General Hospital Foundation funding the remaining $1.6 million.

“These renovations help ensure we’re using our health-care assets in the most efficient way possible for the benefit of patients and health-care providers,” said Dr. Todd Howlett, Dartmouth General Hospital’s chief of staff. “It is an important step toward providing better access to health care that will meet the needs of Nova Scotians, but particularly the residents of Dartmouth and surrounding communities, for years to come.”

This is part of the QEII redevelopment project that will better connect Nova Scotians to the care they need. It will also enhance Dartmouth General’s role in the Nova Scotia Health Authority. Some patients and surgeries that do not require the specialized care provided by the QEII Health Sciences Centre will be moved to Dartmouth General.

A video on the Dartmouth General’s renovations and updates on the QEII redevelopment project can be found at: http://qe2redevelopment.ca/.

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Source: Release