The Infusion Health consortium, which comprises John Laing and Bilfinger Berger, has started construction on the Kelowna and Vernon Hospitals project in British Columbia, Canada.  As a public-private partnership (P3) project, Infusion Health designs will build, finance and maintain the Kelowna and Vernon Hospitals project for a 30-year term, while all public health care services are provided by Interior Health, the second largest of five geographically-based health authorities established by the Government of British Columbia, in keeping with the principles of the Canada Health Act.

Construction of the facilities is undertaken by Graham Construction, with multi-disciplinary design services provided by Stantec. Facilities management services will be provided by Black and Macdonald.

At Kelowna General Hospital, the project will provide a new patient care tower including a new emergency department, general clinics area, surgical services, short-stay beds, renal services, and diagnostic services for outpatients including cardiology, respiratory, neuro-diagnostics, a satellite lab collection station and satellite diagnostic imaging. It will be linked to the existing hospital, and include a rooftop helipad, as well as shelled-in space for possible future expansion. In addition, the project provides new accommodation for the University of British Columbia Medical School, which enables Kelowna General Hospital to become a clinical academic campus.

At Vernon Jubilee hospital, a new diagnostic and treatment building located next to the existing facility will provide ambulatory care services and day surgery, emergency department services, surgical services, intensive care, cardiac care, maternity and paediatric services. It will also include shelled-in space for possible future expansion.

Construction is scheduled for completion in 2012.