Interior Health is moving ahead with expansion and renovation plans for the Nicola Valley Hospital and Health Centre Emergency Department in Merritt, British Columbia, Canada. Completion of the project is expected to take approximately 20-24 months.

Kasian Architecture Interior Design and Planning Ltd. has been selected as the design consultant for the project. The firm will also work alongside Interior Health during the tendering process for a general contractor, expected this spring.

The ED project is expected to cost approximately $5.6 million, to be shared by the Province of British Columbia through Interior Health, the Thompson Regional Hospital District, the Nicola Valley Health Care Endowment Foundation, and the Nicola Valley Health Care Auxiliary.

Plans call for the increase of dedicated department space to approximately 5,380 square feet, as well as improvements to patient confidentiality and staff safety. Other features will include a covered ambulance bay with dedicated ambulance entrance, confidential triage and registration spaces, expanded trauma and treatment areas, a new nurses’ station, medication room, washrooms, and equipment storage.

The project team also includes SNC-Lavalin (MEP enginner), Weiler Smith Bowers (structural engineer), S2K Envirographics (signage consultant), and PD Group Landscape Architecture (landscape architect).