A second operating room has been unveiled at Squamish General Hospital.

In a release Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) says the room will reduce surgical wait times, and will be staffed five days per week with surgeons from Squamish and Lions Gate Hospital. In addition, six nursing positions will be added.

VCH anticipates an additional 576 surgeries will be performed annually at the facility. Currently surgeries performed include emergency care, obstetrics, general medicine and chemotherapy. The second operating room will provide surgeries relating to orthopedics, general surgery, urology, ear, nose and throat procedures, obstetrics/gynecology and plastic surgery.

The addition of the second operating room will mean the capacity to do surgeries is “pretty much two fold” according to Dr. Kim MacDonald at Squamish General Hospital. He also says that not only will residents be able to have more surgeries locally, but that it will strengthen the maternity care program, and that it “guarantees more mums and families can deliver in Squamish”.

Karin Olson, Chief Operating Officer, Coastal Community of Care, Vancouver Coastal Health says “Increasing our operating room capacity not only supports patients in Squamish, outlying areas and the North Shore, but is also part of VCH’ s goal to better support patients across the region by addressing surgical wait times.”

The new operating room has been designed so that surgeries are ‘daycare’ meaning patients will go home the same day and not stay overnight. The hospital will be addressing how the second room will impact other departments and will make sure they’re able to accommodate the extra patients according to Dr. MacDonald.

Of the announcement Dr. MacDonald says “its very exciting for the corridor and for our growing population to have local services, and a high level functioning hospital that can really meet the needs of our community”.

Filed under: District of Squamish, health, Hospital, Operating Room, Sea to Sky, Squamish, Squamish General Hospital