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Surrey Memorial Hospital unveils critical care tower

SURREY - A brand new, eight-storey Critical Care Tower at Surrey Memorial Hospital saw its official opening on Monday afternoon.

Around 1 p.m., Health Minister Terry Lake, along with local MLAs and representatives from Fraser Health unveiled the plans and purposes for the tower, which will work in conjunction with the hospital's new emergency department that opened in October 2013."Thanks to this new facility, health-care professionals will be able to deliver the best possible care for families in a larger, modern environment with more beds, space, equipment and staff," said Lake."The critical care tower will go a long way in meeting the health care needs of the rapidly growing Fraser Valley."Lake stressed the "unwavering generosity" of donors - including Variety, the Children's Charity - in making the tower a reality. The critical care tower facilitates the use of 650 beds at Surrey Memorial Hospital, as well as 650 new direct care staff and 300 clinicalsupport staff.It will also include a new neonatal and pediatric pharmacy, the first of its kind in Canada, as well as an expanded hospital laboratory using new robotics and automated technology. B.C.'s first Ronald McDonald family room, a place where families can relax while their children are in the neighbouring hospital, is also a feature of the tower."Residents of Surrey and other Fraser Health communities now have an improved health care environment that is truly patient-centred," said Fraser Health interim president and CEO, Dr. David Ostrow."Eighty per cent of the tower rooms are single patient for more privacy and better infection prevention and control. Each room includes a family-zone with a sofa bed or recliner so families can stay close to loved ones."Surrey Memorial's emergency department saw 117,000 visits in 2013, more than 17 per cent more than 2012.The opening of the critical care centre is expected to help alleviate some of that pressure.kalexandra@thenownewspaper.com