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Health authority says upgrades to Aberdeen on track

NEW GLASGOW – Renovations to the Aberdeen Hospital’s emergency room and pharmacy are on track, says the vice-president of corporate services for the Pictou County Health Authority.
Alan Mongraw said the authority is currently in the process of “revisiting its functional program” which will be looking at sizes and features within the plan and clarify the budget process for the project.
He added a project manager will also be hired in the near future.
The health authority received funding approval last spring from the provincial government to go ahead with plans to renovate its emergency room and its pharmacy.
Renovations to the emergency room department will bring it up to a state-of-the-art facility that will see it expanded out into the hospital's south parking lot.
A patient traffic flow would be improved because a holding area would be created where patients would wait to be admitted instead of being held on stretchers in hallways. Upgrades would also include an infectious control area and the new overall design would be based on a linear flow, the second of its kind in Nova Scotia.
Improvements to the pharmacy area will not be as noticeable to the public, but will improve patient care and help with the hospital's accreditation.
The Aberdeen Professional Centre will be demolished within the next few months so there is less traffic on-site. Once the professional centre is torn down, a temporary parking lot will be made on the grounds until work begins on an ambulatory care centre.
The authority had asked the province to approve $12.3 million while the municipalities are contributing $1.4 million or 25 per cent of the cost of the project.
So far, the provincial government has committed $2.6 million to the project which will cover phase-one costs such as putting together a project team and some design and preliminary work. The Aberdeen Hospital project was announced in the provincial government’s capital budget for 2012, but the exact funding amount wasn’t disclosed.
County councillors expressed concern recently that their contribution may increase beyond $4.1 million because the province’s deputy health minister said it was only an estimated cost.
Pictou County Warden Ron Baillie said everyone is expecting there will be an increase and it’s something that will be dealt with at that time.
He said the most important thing right now is to get the project done.
"It's a high priority for everybody in the county and we just have to lobby
the government to get their funding in there so we can start these
renovations to have a better ER and better pharmacy."
Mongraw said although costs can increase with any project, he expects that the estimated $4.1 million contribution from the municipalities will be close to the required amount.
“There is no reason to believe there will be any dramatic changes,” he said.

http://www.ngnews.ca/News/Local/2012...een-on-track/1