After fulfilling its use for funded patient care, Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre’s (RVH) Pandemic Response Unit (PRU) is being dismantled and relocated to CFB Borden.
The 70-bed, 12,800 square-foot pre-engineered structure is a four season, fully functioning field hospital. Since June 2020, it has been located in RVH’s parking lot and connected to the health centre by an enclosed walkway. Professionally staffed and fully equipped, the unit served as a regional asset for RVH and partner hospitals including Colllingwood General and Marine, Georgian Bay General Hospital, Muskoka Algonquin Health, Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital and Stevenson Memorial Hospital to meet capacity challenges during the pandemic. It was instrumental in our collective response to COVID-19 and the GTA-IMS directive.
The unit enabled RVH to handle excess patient capacity. COVID patients, many critically ill, were cared for within the health centre, while the PRU saw medically stable patients with an estimated stay of three to five days. RVH cared for 1,231 patients in the PRU from November 2020 until COVID funding ended in March of 2023.
“The PRU was an important resource for RVH and the region through the pandemic,” says Gail Hunt, RVH President and CEO. “We are pleased that this valuable public asset will see new life in service with our community partners at CFB Borden.”
The PRU will be relocated to CFB Borden to capitalize on a great opportunity to share surplus resources between government institutions to maximize their service.
“This is a great moment demonstrating the strong bond between CFB Borden and RVH,” says Colonel Jonathan Michaud, Commander CFB Borden and Military Personnel Generation Training Group. “This structure will help address our needs in Borden and will serve as a symbol of the importance of working together with our local partners for the betterment of our communities and institutions. Our most sincere thanks to the team at RVH for the continued professional relationship and support to CFB Borden and the Canadian Armed Forces.”
Banner image: File photo/Barrie 360
