Island Health has acquired two private surgical centres on Vancouver Island, allowing for more surgeries and endoscopies each year.
In a media release Thursday morning, the province said the health authority assumed the lease and assets from two private surgical centres—one in View Royal and the other in Nanaimo.
“Adding the View Royal Surgical Centre (VRSC) in Victoria and Seafield Surgical Centre (SSC) in Nanaimo into the public health-care system means that we will be able to increase capacity and reduce wait times for people who need surgery,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health.
“Our government is committed to delivering surgical care for British Columbians when they need it, including recovering from the surgical impacts of the pandemic, and bringing these centres on as Island Health facilities will help all of us achieve this goal.”
According to the province, both locations have underutilized space and as VRSC and SSC gradually transition to Island Health facilities over the coming months, a broader suite of surgical services will be provided.
Island Health acquired both locations for $11.5 million, which included the surgical equipment.
Currently, both facilities perform certain low-complexity day care procedures such as plastic, general, orthopedics, urology, vascular, pediatric dental, endoscopy and cataract surgery requiring a hospital stay of less than 24 hours.
Island Health contracts two operating rooms and two endoscopy suites at VRSC, which delivers approximately 2,500 day care surgeries and 4,000 outpatient procedures per year.
“Surgical Centres Inc. have been a valued partner in helping us deliver surgical care and we are now excited to move forward with these sites under our direction,” said Leah Hollins, board chair, Island Health.
“The addition of the View Royal and Seafield Surgical Centres will help us efficiently expand surgical capacity in a way that was not previously possible.”
Island Health and Surgical Centres, which owns both facilities, are working to finalize the agreement.
