McKerracher Re-Elected Hospital District Chair

The Kootenay East Regional Hospital District Board has elected its Chair and Vice Chair for the coming year.

Elkford Mayor Dean McKerracher has been elected Chair for this second term. “I am grateful to be able to continue on as Chair and thank my fellow Directors for their confidence in me,” says McKerracher. “2016 will be an exciting year, starting with the opening of the new ICU at the Kootenay East Regional Hospital, which this Board has been a supporter of from day one. I’m looking forward to its official opening and to continuing to build on the strong relationships we have as a Board and with Interior Health.”

Invermere Mayor Gerry Taft has been elected as Acting Chair. “I thank the Board of Directors for placing its trust in me and I look forward to working with Chair McKerracher and the entire Board for the coming year,” says Taft. This will be his first year as Acting Chair.

The Kootenay East Regional Hospital District provides up to 40 percent capital funding for acute care facilities in the region for equipment and facility construction and renovation.

The Hospital District extends beyond the boundaries of the RDEK to include the Towns of Golden and Creston, and the portions of the Regional Districts of Central Kootenay and Columbia Shuswap surrounding those municipalities.

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McKerracher Elected KERHD Board Chair for 2015

L to R: 2015 Acting KERHD Chair Larry Binks and Board Chair Dean McKerracher

L to R: 2015 Acting KERHD Chair Larry Binks and Board Chair Dean McKerracher

There are some new faces at the helm of the Kootenay East Regional Hospital District Board as Dean McKerracher has been elected Chair and Larry Binks as Acting Chair for 2015.

“I am honoured to have received the support of my fellow Directors and I look forward to continuing to build on the strong relationships we have as a Board and with Interior Health,” says McKerracher. “Having spent the past three years as Acting Chair, I have learned a great deal from former Chair John Kettle and am excited about this new opportunity.”

Regional District of Central Kootenay Electoral Area C Director Larry Binks has been elected as Acting Chair. “I thank the Board of Directors for placing its trust in me and I look forward to the coming year,” says Binks. This will be his first term as Acting Chair.

The Kootenay East Regional Hospital District provides up to 40 percent capital funding for acute care facilities in the region for equipment and facility construction and renovation.

The Hospital District extends beyond the boundaries of the RDEK to include the Towns of Golden and Creston, and the portions of the Regional Districts of Central Kootenay and Columbia Shuswap surrounding those municipalities.

 

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Hospital District Bids Farewell to Kettle

KERHD Bids Kettle Farewell

KERHD Chair John Kettle (left) receives a gift of appreciation for his years of service and leadership from Acting Chair Dean McKerracher

The November Kootenay East Regional Hospital District (KERHD) meeting started off with a tribute to outgoing KERHD Board Chair John Kettle.

Kettle joined the Kootenay East Regional Hospital District Board in 2003 and was first elected Chair in 2008. “A great deal has been accomplished during his time on the Board. In 2007, the year before Mr. Kettle took over as Chair, the Kootenay East Regional Hospital District taxation was at its highest.  Since then, the taxation has decreased every year until 2014 when it held steady.  To put this into numbers, the 2014 requisition was 39% lower than it was in 2007,” explains KERHD Acting Chair Dean McKerracher. “Yes, some of this is to do with the major upgrade of the East Kootenay Regional Hospital, but much of it is to the credit of Chair Kettle’s leadership which included a regular reminder to us all that we mainly fund only bricks and mortar.”

Kettle was instrumental in advancing projects at the East Kootenay Regional Hospital including the ICU redevelopment and electrical upgrade, a new CT scanner, and an improved isolation room air system which totalled almost $23 million.  In addition, the $4.3 million Invermere Hospital emergency room upgrade was undertaken sooner than expected due to the Kettle’s efforts to advance the project at the provincial level.

“John worked tirelessly in the background with Interior Health, the Ministry, Ministers and MLA’s to advocate for the region and build strong working relationships,” adds McKerracher. “We will miss his leadership.”

Kettle, who did not run for re-election, will spend time with his family over the next few months and hopes to continue to be involved in health advocacy.

The Kootenay East Regional Hospital District covers a large area including the RDEK, the Towns of Creston and Golden as well as their surrounding rural communities. The function of the Hospital District is to provide up to 40% of the funding for equipment and construction projects at health care facilities within the Hospital District, with the remaining cost being covered by Interior Health.

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East Kootenay Regional Hospital ICU Project Update

A new intensive care unit (ICU) for patients across the region is now rising above the excavated area at East Kootenay Regional Hospital in Cranbrook.

The approximate total project cost of the redevelopment project at EKRH is $20 million. Funding is provided by the Province, Kootenay East Regional Hospital District and East
Kootenay Foundation for Health, which is contributing towards the clinical equipment.

To view the latest project update from Interior Health, click here.

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New Renovated Space for the Pediatric Unit Planned for EKRH

CRANBROOK – A significant commitment from the East Kootenay Foundation for Health for the East Kootenay Regional Hospital ICU/Electrical Redevelopment Project, along with cooperative efforts between Ministry of Health, Kootenay East Regional Hospital District and Interior Health are paving the way for a new renovated space for the existing pediatric unit at EKRH.

Click here to learn more about this exciting project.

ftp://ftp.rdek.bc.ca/kerhd/nr_cranbrook_pediatricredevelopment_6oct2014%20(2).pdf

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ICU Project Update – Excavation Work Complete

Interior Health is pleased to inform the community that work on the East Kootenay Regional Hospital intensive care unit redevelopment and electrical upgrade is going well.

The majority of excavation for the hospital addition is now complete. Work on the foundations and the actual building structure has begun.

This work will continue through the summer.

Click here to view the full Project Update

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Kettle Re-Elected Hospital District Chair

John_KettleFor the seventh year, the Kootenay East Regional Hospital District Board has re-elected John Kettle as Chair.

“I am grateful for the continued support of this Board and look forward to continuing to build on our positive relationship with Interior Health in the coming year,” says Kettle. “Last year at this time, we were advocating for a new Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for the East Kootenay Regional Hospital. Today that project is a reality and I look forward to seeing construction get underway in the coming months.”

The KERHD has committed $8 million to the ICU project, which represents 40% of the project cost.  Elkford Mayor Dean McKerracher has been re-elected as Acting Chair for a third term. “I’ve learned a lot over the past two years and would like to thank the board once again for its support and confidence in my abilities,” says McKerracher.
The Kootenay East Regional Hospital District provides up to 40 percent capital funding for acute care facilities in the region for equipment and facility construction and renovation.
The Hospital District extends beyond the boundaries of the RDEK to include the Towns of Golden and Creston, and the portions of the Regional Districts of Central Kootenay and Columbia Shuswap surrounding those municipalities.

For More Information Contact: John Kettle
Board Chair, Kootenay East Regional Hospital District

(250) 428-6096

 

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ICU Project – Construction Contract Awarded

CRANBROOK – Interior Health is pleased to announce it has awarded the construction contract for the East Kootenay Regional Hospital ICU and electrical upgrade project to Lark Projects Ltd.

Lark Projects Ltd. is part of the Surrey-based Lark Group. The Lark Group has more than 40 years of experience with industrial, commercial, hospitality and health care projects, including the Royal Jubilee Hospital Patient Care Centre in Victoria.

The new ICU will replace the current four-bed unit at the hospital and feature two additional high-acuity beds, which will help relieve pressure on the intensive care unit. The more detailed integrated design process for the ICU is now complete and includes a 787 square-metre addition on the northeast side of the existing hospital.

The project also includes a significant electrical upgrade at the facility. The new electrical system will provide power to the entire hospital and optimize system performance. The electrical infrastructure will be located in the basement of the new addition.

Click here to view the full release

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ICU Project Moving to Next Phase: Electrical Design

Preliminary Design Drawings

KERHD Chair John Kettle goes over the preliminary ICU design drawings with Interior Health’s Acute Health Service Administrator Erica Phillips and Director, Business Support Todd Mastel

CRANBROOK – Interior Health has completed the initial design phase for the East Kootenay Regional Hospital’s new intensive care unit and upgraded electrical system, and was pleased to share preliminary design drawings with the Kootenay East Regional Hospital District during a meeting today.

The new ICU will replace the current four-bed unit at the hospital and feature two additional high-acuity beds, which will help relieve pressure on the intensive care unit. Work now turns to a more detailed integrated design process for the ICU that will include a 787 square-metre addition on the south side of the existing hospital.

The estimated total project cost is $20 million. The Province is funding approximately $12 million and the Kootenay East Regional Hospital District is contributing $8 million.

The project also includes a significant electrical upgrade at the facility. The new electrical system will provide power to the entire hospital and optimize system performance. The electrical infrastructure will be located in the basement of the new addition.

Following the design process, Interior Health will issue a tender for a general contractor early in the New Year.  Actual construction is expected to start in the spring of next year, with construction completion anticipated in mid-2016.

Click here to view the full release

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