This new facility will continue to be the hub for specialized health services, including internal medicine, general surgery, orthopedics, elder care, emergency and intensive care, mental health, and cancer care. The hospital will also actively support community health centers, ensuring comprehensive and accessible healthcare for the entire Western Newfoundland region. Construction of the new hospital was successfully completed on November 7, 2023, with the handover to NL Health Services on November 10. The facility is poised to welcome its first patients in Spring 2024, marking a significant milestone in the region’s healthcare transformation. The economic impact of the Corner Brook Acute Care Hospital project is substantial. Over the course of construction, an estimated 4,000 person-years of employment were generated, contributing significantly to the local workforce. “During construction, the percentage of workers on this project from Newfoundland and Labrador was consistently greater than 90 per cent, and we will continue to work closely with our partners to ensure all of our infrastructure projects are providing employment for Newfoundland and Labrador workers and companies.” The project injected a staggering $460 million into the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), further underlining its role in fortifying the economic foundation of Western Newfoundland. Beyond its state-of-the-art design, the Corner Brook Acute Care Hospital is also an environmentallyfriendly infrastructure. The incorporation of a geothermal system is a noteworthy feature, translating into an annual electricity savings of approximately 4,600,000 kWh—the equivalent required to heat 500 homes for a year. The Honourable Gerry Byrne, Minister of Immigration, Population Growth and Skills and MHA for Corner Brook, says, “While our frontline health care providers remained dedicated to the task of providing the best care for their patients, our government committed to providing new tools and a new home for them and for these services.” 43 MAR 2024 | BUSINESS ELITE CANADA
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