It was a truly awe-inspiring feat and an auspicious beginning for the newest health-care facility on the BC Children’s Hospital and BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre campus on Oak Street in Vancouver.
The Singhs were one of a few families who transitioned from the old Neonatal ICU (NICU) to the new one with the opening of the Teck ACC. Baby Harmeher Singh weighed just 450 grams when he was born prematurely. Harmeher and his family experienced an immediate, positive change in both care and environment between the two vastly different spaces.
“Harmeher means God’s blessing, and he truly is God’s blessing to us,” said Harmeher’s mother, Bubblepreet Randhawa. “We’re so thankful that the NICU team saved him and to have been in this bigger private room, where my husband spent the night here and Harmeher’s big brother was able to come visit to spend more time with his baby brother and share mommy-time.”
We’re happy to announce Harmeher is a thriving 13-month old (true age); his corrected age is nine and a half months. He is very intelligent and loves to play with his brother, Gurmeher. “Again, we are so grateful he is healthy and for the care he received. Thank you!”
“The BC Women’s NICU is North America’s first purpose-built unit of its kind, where mothers receive their postpartum care in the same room, from the same NICU nurse, as their newborns who need neonatal intensive care so that these mothers and babies need not be separated after birth,” said Cheryl Davies, chief operating officer, BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre. “New and expectant mothers and their newborns now have state-of-the-art facilities in the new Teck ACC—an environment that supports our medical care providers and staff to provide the best patient care possible.”
The Teck ACC houses a range of patient care services, including the labour and delivery unit for complex pregnancies, expanded dedicated obstetrical surgical suites, blood transfusion services, centralized medical equipment depot and sterile processing services, the Emergency Department, and more than 200 private patient rooms supporting patient- and family-centred care.
Benefits for patients and their families in the new building are more natural light and access to therapeutic outdoor spaces, and amenities like kitchenettes, laundry, family lounges and play areas.
The Teck ACC is part of the BC Children’s and BC Women’s Redevelopment Project to improve care at BC Children’s and BC Women’s hospitals. The provincial government is contributing $678 million toward the three-phased project. BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre Foundation has also contributed funds for enhanced patient care in the NICU.
