Story from Nova Scotia Health Authority
North Sydney will soon be home to a new, modern community health centre, long-term care home and laundry centre.
Premier Stephen McNeil announced today, Aug. 2, that the new health-care facilities will be located on Memorial Drive in the Northside Business Park.
“Government is committed to providing health-care services to meet the needs of all Nova Scotians,” said Premier McNeil. “Thanks to the work of many local health-care professionals in Cape Breton, who were part of the planning process, we are now able to move to the next phase of the project and build health- care infrastructure to meet the needs of people today and into the future.”
The new community health centre will offer many of the same health services now provided at the Northside General Hospital in the community. These include:
- X-rays, ultrasounds, fluoroscopy and breast screening
- blood collection
- cardiac services
- cancer screening
- chronic pain and chronic disease management
- counselling, community support teams and wellness clinics
- expanded endoscopy and dialysis service
- space for after hours clinics, all existing family doctors to work as part of a collaborative team, continuing care staff to work on the same site and for physiotherapy, occupational therapy and nutrition to work in one location
“The new facilities are the result of collaboration with physicians, frontline staff and partners,” said Dr. Kevin Orrell, senior medical director with the CBRM Health Care Redevelopment Project. “The project presents many unique opportunities for health and the local economy and we are pleased to see the next phase of the project move forward and continue to provide world-class health care into the future.”
Also included in the project are 12 new short-stay beds for patients who need observation but not in an acute care setting. This could include patients with exacerbated COPD, post-surgery wound care requiring intravenous antibiotics, or those requiring blood transfusions.
The new 60-bed long-term care home, which adds 38 new beds to the community, will be attached to the community health centre.
The site will also include a new, modern laundry facility that will have the capability to process more laundry, automated controls and modern equipment, as well as improve working conditions for staff.
Construction will begin in fall 2020.
The new community health centre, long-term care home and laundry centre are part of the CBRM Health Care Redevelopment Project, which also includes:
- expanding the Cape Breton Regional Hospital with a new emergency department, critical care department and cancer centre
- renovating and revitalizing the Glace Bay Hospital emergency department
- building a new, modern community health centre and long-term care home in New Waterford, creating a community hub with a new Breton Education Centre
- a new community-based paramedic program in CBRM where paramedics and telecare nurses provide care after a patient is released from hospital
