architecture - engineering - construction

Case Study: Vernon Jubilee Hospital, Polson Tower

Apr 27, 2022

Vernon Jubilee Hospital (VJH) and its Interior Health healthcare partners are situated in the North Okanagan in BC. In September 2011, five floors of the VJH Polson Tower opened at the hospital, bringing state of the art facilities to many departments. As part of the construction, two additional floors were shelled-in for future use as inpatient wards. Once the new hospital was in use, it quickly became apparent that VJH required the additional capacity, and that capacity would need to come from the completion of the 6th and 7th floors of Polson Tower.

On February 7, 2013, then-Health Minister Margaret MacDiarmed announced a $29.6 million project to convert the two shelled-in floors into acute care wards with a total of 60 beds that would not only improve capacity, but also increase patient comfort, privacy and safety.

Project Description

This project provides a modern inpatient ward with appropriate infection control and patient care areas, without congested overflow. Most of the 60 beds are private rooms complete with their own washrooms. Units are furnished with new equipment through the Vernon Jubilee Hospital Foundation’s ongoing Tower of Care campaign. And, importantly, privacy and tranquility are key considerations as part of the optimal patient experience.

The Privacy Component

To ensure desired levels of privacy and tranquility, VJH employed Vision Control® units from Unicel Architectural for their readily adjustable privacy, ease of use, sound dampening qualities, zero maintenance requirements and hygienic construction. These included over 44 interior window applications on the new 6th and 7th floors that permit adjustable privacy for patient spaces.

The Results – A Patient-First Environment

Vision Control® helps promote an improved patient experience by providing flexible access to light and views, decreased noise levels, and improved infection prevention and control features. Each floor features a Quiet Room, Nourishment Centre, Tub & Shower Room, as well as an Airborne Isolation Room designed to reduce airborne transmitted infections.

All rooms were designed to take advantage of the spectacular views across the Okanagan Valley. Patients and their families can now enjoy enhanced privacy provided by these new facilities and see an increase in their comfort as family involvement in patient care is encouraged by the Interior Health Authority, the owners and operators at VJH.

The Polson Tower was also recently awarded a LEED Gold certification and is the first building in Vernon to achieve such a designation.