Hospital work to start in spring

While Riverside Health Care Facilities Inc. got funding for its long-awaited Phase IV renovations at La Verendrye hospital back in August, there won’t be any significant work on the $10-million project until spring.
“What’s going to happen is in the next few weeks, we’ll go out to tender,” said Riverside CEO Wayne Woods. “It should be a six-week process and that’ll take us into December.
“We’ll then have to analyze the bids and, of course, submit them to the ministry [of Health and Long-term Care] for their approval. That should take another six weeks.
“Basically, we’re looking at a spring start,” he remarked.
With a possible construction start date in March or April, Woods admitted hospital staff and administration have a big job ahead of them.
“There’s a lot of phasing that has to take place. It’s going to be delicate work to change things around while continuing to offer our services—we can’t exactly close down during the renovations,” he remarked, adding the work is estimated to take 18-24 months.
The extensive job—initially estimated at $5.5 million and then $8 million, before the ministry’s recommendations—will include improvements or total overhauls to the X-ray department, emergency room, operating rooms, and lab.
The expansion also will include re-locating the dialysis unit and possibly getting a computerized tomography (CT) imaging unit, which has the ability to image a combination of soft tissue, bone, and blood vessels.
But the first step of the renovations will be expanding the parking lot to make room for employee, visitor, and contractor vehicles, as well as a structural expansion of the hospital to the south.
This will mean the removal of the Riverside Community Counselling and Valley Diabetes Education Centre buildings currently located to the east of the hospital.
On that note, Woods said work is “moving right along” at the St. Mary’s parish rectory, which was purchased by Riverside to be turned into additional space to house the relocated Riverside Community Counselling and Valley Diabetes Education Centre.
These two services should be moved into their new digs by mid-November, he noted.
Work on the rectory began in April. The renovations have entailed adding fire doors, fire exits, a handicap-accessible washroom, and handicap access, plus cosmetic changes like flooring and new paint on the ceiling and walls.
St. Mary’s parish will continue to occupy four offices and a reception area on the upper floor of the north side of the building.
The Phase IV renovations are being funded by both the provincial government and Riverside Foundation for Health Care’s “Care Close to Home” campaign.