Brandon Regional Health Centre (DISCOVERWESTMAN.COM)
BRANDON — Two health centres in the city of Brandon are undergoing an expansion to improve patient care and increase capacity.
Construction work on the Brandon Regional Health Centre began last fall and foundation work is now underway.
The upgrades will include 30 additional medicine beds, an expanded neonatal intensive care unit and a new, 16-bed intensive care unit, up from the current nine.
Over at the Western Manitoba Cancer Centre, work began in January on a 9,400-sq.-ft. expansion.
Once complete, the centre will have additional exam/procedure rooms and treatment spaces, and a new medical linear accelerator, commonly used for delivering external beam radiation treatments to patients with cancer. The space will also house the Centre for Hope which will provide supportive care services to Westman patients and families for all cancers.
“Moving forward on these major projects will further enhance the very important roles Brandon Regional Health Centre and the Western Manitoba Cancer Centre play in the provision of specialized services in the region and province,” said Brian Schoonbaert, CEO, Prairie Mountain Health.
The province says the BRHC project represents an investment of nearly $110 million and the expansion of the cancer centre is nearly $26 million. Work on the cancer centre is expected to be completed next year, while construction at BRHC will conclude in 2025. Both projects are being supported in part by the BRHC Foundation and CancerCare Manitoba Foundation.
In a separate announcement on Wednesday, the Western Manitoba Cancer Centre received a private $3.5 million donation. The Paul Albrechtsen Foundation made the donation to establish the Paul Albrechtsen Centre for Hope.
“It’s hard to put into words how impactful this gift is. It will change the cancer experience for Manitobans and their families for many, many years to come,” said Patti Smith, president and CEO, CancerCare Manitoba Foundation.
“I would like to extend my heartful thanks to the Paul Albrechtsen Foundation for believing in this vision and understanding the importance of supporting patients through all aspects of their cancer journey.”
