Teck donates $2.5M to support emergency programs and services at St. Paul's Hospital

Largest-ever corporate and capital donation to St. Paul's recognized by naming the area the Teck Emergency Centre and establishing the Teck Emergency Centre Innovation Fund

St. Paul's Hospital Foundation today announced that Teck Resources Limited donated $2.5 million to St. Paul's Hospital to complete the remaining funding for its recently renovated and redesigned emergency area. In recognition of Teck's major gift, the area will be named the Teck Emergency Centre. Furthermore, a fund to support research, academic productivity and the development of best practices at the hospital will be called the Teck Emergency Centre Innovation Fund.

"We are pleased to support the innovative emergency programs and services at St. Paul's," said Don Lindsay, President and CEO of Teck Resources Limited. "We recognize the vital long-term role that St. Paul's will continue to play in caring for British Columbians, as well as the impact it has on making Vancouver one of the world's most livable cities."

This is the single largest corporate and capital donation ever made to the hospital and ensures that the emergency department - one of the most technologically advanced in the country - will continue delivering leading care to patients from across B.C. Last year, the emergency department at St. Paul's Hospital was among the busiest in the province, treating approximately 65,000 emergency patients - 12 per cent of whom came from outside the Lower Mainland. 

"We thank Teck for their leadership in stepping forward with this transformational gift for St. Paul's award-winning emergency department," said Stephen Shapiro, President and CEO of St. Paul's Hospital Foundation. "The continued support from our many donors, including Teck, will keep the future of St. Paul's bright as the hospital prepares to serve British Columbians for many more years to come from the heart of downtown Vancouver."

Teck's donation concludes a highly successful fundraising campaign to complete the hospital's $14.7-million renovation of its emergency area. The redesigned emergency area was officially opened by Health Services Minister Kevin Falcon in July. In addition to Teck's gift, the Province of British Columbia, through Vancouver Coastal Health, also provided $10 million in funding support, while 1,200 individuals and other corporate donors combined to give more than $2.4 million.

"St. Paul's Hospital provides care to a wide range of patients, including some of our most vulnerable and marginalized individuals," said Health Services Minister Kevin Falcon. "This redesign incorporates leading-edge, innovative technologies and best practices to reduce wait times and increase access for those patients, while providing emergency staff with a more efficient and effective work environment."

"Teck has demonstrated tremendous vision and we are extremely grateful for its generous gift to the hospital," said Dianne Doyle, President and CEO of Providence Health Care. "Our redesigned and improved emergency centre is now one of the most advanced in the country and ensures that the tens of thousands of patients who come to St. Paul's for emergency care each year will continue to receive the high-quality care they have come to expect."  

The emergency area at St. Paul's Hospital optimizes patient flow and delivers timely, efficient and effective care with features such as:

• Canada's first rapid assessment zone, which reduces the wait-times and length of stay for patients with serious but stable illnesses.
• B.C.'s first 24-hour diagnostic treatment unit, which allows staff to aggressively diagnose and treat conditions such as asthma, chest pain, stroke, heart failure and overdoses - avoiding unnecessary hospital admissions in the process.
• A new high-tech trauma unit that acts as a mini intensive care unit (ICU) to treat the most urgent, life-threatening conditions.
• Two redesigned acute treatment areas with enhanced layouts to ensure the best care for patients, as well as advanced patient information systems. 
• A new triage and admitting area that has reduced admission from 15-20 minutes to approximately five minutes.
• A fast track area, where patients with urgent but less serious conditions can be treated quickly and released.
• Real-time electronic tracking boards (like those found in airports) that reveal where patients are, who is treating them, what tests they are undergoing and if their treatment time is meeting department guidelines.
• Fully electronic patient records using state-of-the-art bedside computers for easy and timely access to patient information.
• An electronic patient discharge system, which sends a comprehensive health record to each patient's physician by the next business day.