Phase 1 of the Teck Emergency Department (ED) at Royal Inland Hospital opened on Oct. 23, featuring a new public entrance and expanded areas for triage, care initiation, streaming (Zone 3), and minor treatment (Zone 4).
The new Emergency Department entrance is on the east side of the main hospital building, and those using the facility need to be aware of important changes regarding access.
The entrance to the Teck ED is through new permanent sliding glass doors located directly under the large “EMERGENCY” sign. The new entrance is located to the right of the temporary entrance which has been in place since August 2023. There will be signage on site to help guide people using the facility.
Short-term public parking for the ED continues to be located on the right side of the drive leading to the roundabout where the entrance is located. To access the ED from the public parkade in the Clinical Services Building on Columbia Street, take the parkade elevator to Level 2 to access the pedestrian bridge to the main building, then follow the “EMERGENCY” signage.
The new zones are specially designed to treat ambulatory patients (those who are mobile), who make up approximately 70 per cent of the daily cases who present to the Teck Emergency Department. This new space is larger in size than the entire previous ED department.
Phase 1 offers a new way of seeing patients with more efficiency and comfort. There are 14 exam rooms with glass doors to enhance privacy and infection control, six exam chairs, 14 treatment chairs, and three care initiation rooms.
Teck, which operates Highland Valley Copper near Logan Lake, donated $2.5 million toward the new Emergency Department. It will feature antimicrobial copper surfaces and equipment, designed to protect patients and health care workers.
Copper has unique antimicrobial properties, and is proven effective in eliminating up to 99.9 per cent of harmful bacteria within two hours of contact. When installed in high-touch, high-traffic locations, copper can help reduce the spread of infectious disease.
There is no commercial benefit to Teck from the increased use of antimicrobial copper at RIH, as the amount of metal needed is very small. The goal of the program is to improve health and safety for communities, and Teck’s Copper & Health program has installed copper surfaces in a number of health care facilities, on public transit in partnership with TransLink and the Toronto Transit Commission, and in schools through partnerships with BCIT, SFU, and UBC.
The Teck Emergency Department will continue its evolution through three additional phases, with plans to introduce a new mental health and substance use care area, followed by further expansions into treatment zones serving more critical patients, along with trauma and resuscitation areas, by 2026.
Anyone unsure whether an emergency room visit is needed can call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1, or visit www.HealthLinkBC.ca for non-emergency health information from nurses, dietitians, and pharmacists 24 hours a day, seven days per week. There is no cost for these services.
Those with non-emergency health concerns who require attention from a medical professional within 12–24 hours can also book an appointment at an Urgent Primary Care Centre in either Kamloops or Ashcroft.
The Kamloops centre, at the base of the Clinical Services Building on Columbia Street, is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and can be contacted by calling (250) 314-2256. The Ashcroft centre, at the Ashcroft Hospital and Health Site, is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and can be contacted by calling (250) 453-2211.
