BC Cancer Agency Centre for the North
In July of 2008 the BC Provincial Government formally approved funding for the Northern Cancer Control Strategy, which includes the construction of a new 5,000-square-metre cancer centre in Prince George.
The announcement was made by Prince George MLAs Shirley Bond and Pat Bell, on behalf of Health Services Minister George Abbott.
The MLAs were joined by representatives of Northern Health and the BC Cancer Agency, an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority.
“The BC Cancer Agency predicts that in the next 10 years, new cancer diagnoses in the region will rise by approximately 29 per cent,” said Prince George North MLA Pat Bell. “A new cancer centre in Prince George will allow us to provide residents of northern B.C. with increased access to cancer treatment and diagnostic services as close to their home communities as possible.”
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Details of the strategy include:
- A 5,000-square-metre BC Cancer Agency’s Centre for the North, which will include two linear accelerators used in the delivery of radiation therapy treatment; one computerized-tomography (CT) simulator; a chemotherapy treatment unit including 11 treatment stations; a pharmacy; general outpatient clinics; and professional staff offices.
- A 1,000-square-metre addition and renovation to Prince George Regional Hospital to accommodate a new six-bed oncology unit, as well as an expansion of pathology, laboratory and diagnostic imaging services and the creation of additional office space to support the new BC Cancer Agency services.
- Enhancement to up to 11 Northern Health sites in communities outside of Prince George.
- The acquisition of new equipment and information technology, such as telehealth capability, at these sites to accommodate expansion of community cancer clinics.
- The cancer centre will be designed to be energy efficient and achieve LEED gold certification.
Construction of the new facility is targeted to start in late 2009, with a completion date of 2012. The cost for the new centre, renovations to the University Hospital of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, radiation and diagnostic equipment and infrastructure expansion for cancer care services throughout the North is an estimated $99.5 million.
“The new cancer centre in Prince George will be an important addition to the spectrum of cancer service available in the North,” said Dr. Charles Jago, Northern Health board chair. “It will strengthen the care delivery of local health professionals and build on the progress being made through the Northern Cancer Control Strategy.”
Currently, the BC Cancer Agency operates regional centres located in Surrey, Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna and Abbotsford. When completed, the BC Cancer Agency Centre for the North will become the sixth regional cancer centre in British Columbia.
NEW - The website for the BC Cancer Agency Centre for the North construction project is now live at www.centreforthenorth.plenaryprojects.com
Dr Charles Blanke, Provincial Program Leader, Systemic Therapy at the BC Cancer Agency talks about the Cancer Centre and how it will provide state of the art cancer care in the north.
Click on images to view the video playlist
Dr. Ivo OlivottoProvincial Program Leader, Radiation BC Cancer Agency |
LaDonna FehrRegional Oncology Leader Northern Health |
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