|
Progress Report Budget Contacts Donations First Edition articles Photo Gallery Why a new clinic? |
A new clinic for the new millenium. Community-built and
community-owned. Larger building with more space, better security.
Lock-up is projected for early summer 2010, and completion late in 2010. See Progress and Photo pages.
Back at the dawning of the Age of Aquarius, the small group of back-to-the-land young professionals, artists and artisans who were forming a new culture on this forgotten island built themselves a medical clinic. At that time there were some 350 permanent residents, mainly young families. Now 35 years later we are well into the Age of Arthritis. The permanent population has tripled and the median age has doubled. In addition, in summer we have as many as 4000 extra people on the island indulging in sports from mild to extreme, with the predictable fallout of injuries.
In 2008, the Hornby & Denman Community Health Care Society (HDCHCS), decided the time has come to construct a new larger and more modern building - more suited to our current needs. In 2008, preliminary architectural plans were prepared and fundraising begun. A site was secured on Crown Land, adjacent to the current Health Care building, as shown in the sketch above (sketches courtesy of Michael McNamara).
The new clinic will be double the size of the present building, and will for the first time feature direct access from an emergency vehicle to/from a treatment room. The cost of the project is estimated at $559,000. It is expected that this will be reduced by $130,000 by donations of volunteer labour and equipment usage. In addition, over $200,000 has been raised by the residents of Hornby Island. The additional cash needed is currently (January 2010) estimated at $224,000.
The Society is a registered charity and tax receipts will be issued for Donations of $25 or more.
We have the resources to proceed to lockup, which is having the building enclosed and drying out, and are committed to do so. This will require a minimum of 15 weeks, subject to weather. The use of volunteer labour will stretch this out, so a realistic expectation is to reach lockup by June 2010.
A further minimum of 12 weeks would be required for completion, depanding on the availability of labour. A realistic expectation is for completion by November 2010. This depends in part on funding. We can probably do more with volunteers, but it will take longer. We have yet to establish the contribution to be expected by governments.
Further information is laid out in separate pages accessed by the links at the top right of the page, or in the sections below, which will be expanded and moved to separate pages later.
It was originally visualized that the new clinic building be attached to the existing Community Health Care building at 1965 Sollans Road. This however proved to be impractical, largely due to topography. The present building could not be expanded to the north because of the septic field, and could not be accessed on the west because of the farmers' market. The ambulance bay would have been too constricted and too public.
The location finally selected has a public entrance from the existing parking lot and a separate entrance for staff and for the ambulance. The ambulance entrance would be located opposite Roburn Road. There is space available to the east and west for future additions if needed. A place has been reserved for the dental bus.
The dental bus will be relocated to the same site - shown near the bottom (east) on the sketch.
The building will be sited on a parcel of Crown Land on which HIRRA, the Hornby Island Residents and Ratepayers Association, has recently obtained a 30-year lease.
The building will be owned and maintained by the Hornby & Denman Community Health Care Society. The present building is rented by VIHA, the Vancouver Island Health Authority, which operates the clinic and hires the staff. It is anticipated that a similar arrangement will be agreed upon for the new building.
This is a preliminary layout of the building, based on months of discussion between island architects, builders and physicians, and with input from VIHA, the Vancouver Island Health Authority. There have been regular reports on the progress at public meetings and via the First Edition. There are some minor changes pending since the preparation of the above sketch, but it fairly represents the content of the building.
The public entrance is to the south (bottom of the sketch), and the staff parking and entrance is to the north. The ambulance bay and the two-bed emergency room are essentially in a separate bay which can be isolated by closing one door. There will at last be space to work around a stretcher or gurney.
The final layout will depend upon the structure of the rock and soils on the site, which is just now (November 2009) being revealed. Preliminary indications are that the building will be further to the west than anticipated, and in consequence the layout will be flipped to a mirror image.
The building will be a floor-heated slab-on-grade design, as green as possible. The ridge on the roof will support solar panels on the south side and skyights on the north side. Rainwater catchment will supply non-potable water.
The concept is to seed this project by local donations of time and money, so that the building and equipment will be owned outright by the Society.
A detailed budget has been prepared and is summarized on the Budget page - go to Budget
Funds for this project are segregated from the Society's general accounts. The Society is a registered charity and donations are tax-deductable.
A special committee, the Hornby Island Health Care Centre Development Committee, has been set up by the Board of the Society to be responsible for this project. This has been segregated because while the Society is responsible to both islands, this is a project for one island only. The committee is to operate at arms length from the Society, but under its mantle.
Donations may be made in cash, in kind or in securities. A tax receipt will be issued by the for all donations of $25.00 and over. Please make cheques payable to HDCHCS (Clinic Fund).
For a Donation Form, click here.
The present clinic which is housed in an engineered home has served its purpose for many years, but has always had some limitations, with regard to access for stretchers, space in the examination room, soundproofing, ventilation and privacy in general. It is no longert deemed suitable for an emergency facility. Meanwhile, the population has aged, there are more seniors and less children, the modes of health care and funding have changed. The Society has decided to address all the problems at once and replace the existing building and move to a better site.
this page designed and donated by Doug