Site Selected for New Community Outpatient Centre

A site has been selected for the new Community Outpatient Centre that will be built as part of the QEII redevelopment project.

Premier Stephen McNeil announced today, April 20, that the new centre will be located at the Bayers Lake Business Park in the Halifax Regional Municipality.

“This is a significant step in the QEII redevelopment project,” said Premier McNeil. “Not every service needs to be offered in downtown Halifax. We often hear Nova Scotians say traffic and parking are major concerns when travelling to the VG site of the QEII Health Sciences Centre.

“We now have the opportunity to deliver a variety of services that don’t require a trip to the hospital in a more effective and convenient way for patients and their families.”

Fourteen sites outside the Halifax peninsula were considered and evaluated for the new centre. Site criteria included availability, size, location, ease of acquisition, cost, transportation accessibility and ease of development. The Bayers Lake Business Park was identified as the best site for the new Community Outpatient Centre.

“We’re pleased to celebrate another milestone in the QEII redevelopment project,” said Paula Bond, vice president of Integrated Health Services, Nova Scotia Health Authority. “As part of our commitment to provide care closer to home, this site will be a more convenient location for Nova Scotians travelling for outpatient care, treatment and diagnosis.”

The centre will be built behind the Bayers Lake Business Park retail development on the west side of Chain Lake Drive, between Lacewood Drive and Susie Lake Crescent. The province purchased the property from Banc Commercial Holdings Limited for $7.5 million.

The Community Outpatient Centre will offer several services that do not require a hospital setting. Those potential services may include an initial visit with a specialist, post-surgery or post-treatment followup, blood collection and X-rays.

Dr. David Bell, a urologist at the QEII Health Sciences Centre said he knows some patients feel overwhelmed by the process of navigating the downtown Halifax streets on their way to outpatient appointments at the VG site. “The selection of this site is an exciting step toward providing more convenient, closer-to-home care, for Nova Scotians,” he said.

The QEII redevelopment project also includes the expansion of the Halifax Infirmary and renovations to the Dartmouth General Hospital, Hants Community Hospital and other sites to support the eventual closure of the Centennial and Victoria buildings in Halifax.

For updates on the redevelopment, go to http://QE2redevelopment.ca.