Construction of New, Larger Yarmouth Emergency Department to Begin
The entrance to the new emergency department at Yarmouth Regional Hospital.
Construction of the new emergency department at Yarmouth Regional Hospital will start next week, a project that will provide better access to emergency healthcare for people in Yarmouth, Shelburne and Digby counties.
The new facility will have twice the capacity of the current department – able to care for 30 people at a time, up from the current 14. It will also have space for four ambulances, up from two.
“Investing in healthcare infrastructure is how we support the healthcare needs of our growing population and recruit and retain the best and brightest healthcare professionals to our communities,” said Nick Hilton, MLA for Yarmouth, on behalf of Public Works Minister Fred Tilley. “A new, modern and larger emergency department will improve care for Nova Scotians in Yarmouth, Shelburne and Digby counties.”
Some of the other features of the new emergency department will include:
- two triage spaces
- a resuscitation/trauma area
- two virtual-care exam rooms and a dedicated kids’ waiting area
- mental health facilities
- a dedicated ear-nose-throat exam room.
The new facility is scheduled to open in 2027.
Quotes:
“Our emergency department team, our patients and our community have been looking forward to work getting started on the Yarmouth Regional Hospital emergency department redevelopment. We will be excited to see boots on the ground and work happening. We are confident it will ultimately allow for better care in a more spacious, modern environment, resulting in an enhanced patient and provider experience. Bring it on.”
— Dr. Joe Gillis, site medical lead, Yarmouth Regional Hospital
Quick Facts:
- during construction, patients will be able to access all hospital services as usual; as work proceeds, there will be some adjustments to things such as parking and patient drop-offs/pickups, but any disruptions will be minimized
- PCL Constructors Canada Inc. was awarded the construction tender through a competitive process; it is valued at $77.8 million
- the total cost of the project will be released once it is complete
Additional Resources:
News release – Yarmouth Emergency Department Expansion Update: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2024/02/23/yarmouth-emergency-department-expansion-update
More, Faster: The Action for Health Build: https://buildns.ca/healthcare/more-faster-the-action-for-health-build/
Department of Public Works on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/NS_PublicWorks