Vancouver General Hospital Explained

Vancouver General Hospital
Org/Group:Vancouver Coastal Health
Location:899 West 12th Avenue
Region:Vancouver
State:British Columbia
Country:Canada
Coordinates:49.2612°N -123.123°W
Healthcare:Medicare
Type:Teaching
Speciality:Bone marrow transplant and leukemia, burns and plastics, epilepsy surgery program, organ transplant, spinal cord injury, quaternary-level trauma care
Emergency:Yes, Level I Trauma Center
Affiliation:UBC Faculty of Medicine
Beds:1,000+
Founded:1906

Vancouver General Hospital (locally known as VGH, or Vancouver General) is a medical facility located in Vancouver, British Columbia. It is the largest facility in the Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre (VHHSC) group of medical facilities. VGH is Canada's third largest hospital by bed count, after Hamilton General Hospital, and Foothills Medical Centre.[1]

Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) is responsible for all operations at Vancouver General Hospital.

History

The Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) first opened in 1886 a nine-bed tent, its primary use to treat railway workers. On June 13, 1886, a fire destroyed the tent hospital and by July, a new, one-storey building was built. In September, the City of Vancouver took over the facility, which became the City Hospital. In 1888, located at the southern edge of the original Gastown settlement, a 35-bed hospital opened, as the tent infirmary became too small. The upstairs ward was for female patients, the downstairs ward for males.[2] In 1899, the Vancouver City Hospital Training School for Nurses was opened.[3] In 1902, British Columbia provincial legislature transferred control from the city's board of health to a board of 15 directors.[4] Vancouver City Hospital was renamed to Vancouver General Hospital.[5]

In 1906, in Fairview Ridge, overlooking False Creek, a new building, the Heather Pavilion, began housing staff and patients.[6] The University of British Columbia Medical School opened clinical facilities at VGH in 1950.[7]

In 1959, VGH opened the "Centennial Pavilion" (named in commemoration of the centennial of the founding of British Columbia as a British Crown colony, in 1858),[8] which at the time was the largest part of the VGH facilities.[9] It was renamed for Leon Judah Blackmore in 2017.[10]

In the 1960s, VGH built Canada's first intensive care nursery, equipped with the first effective apparatus used for natural breathing in infants with respiratory failure.[11] [12]

In 1996, VGH opened the first three floors of its newly constructed Laurel Pavilion. In 2000, the Laurel Pavilion was renamed to the Jim Pattison Pavilion and construction of the final 12 floors began in 2001. The Jim Pattison Pavilion opened in 2003.[13]

In 2004, construction of the new Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre began. This new building, adjacent to the Jim Pattison Pavilion, opened in August 2006 to provide acute day care services in a variety of areas.[14]

The Lung Centre specializes in the treatment of pulmonary conditions such as asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis, lung cancer, occupational and environmental lung diseases, sarcoidosis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, pulmonary hypertension and interstitial lung disease.[15]

The Blusson Spinal Cord Centre, the world's largest, most advanced and most comprehensive facility devoted to spinal cord injury research and patient care was opened in November 2008. The six-storey, $45-million centre is home to ICORD (International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries), the Rick Hansen Institute and the Brenda and Davide McLean Integrated Spine Clinic and is a partnership of the University of British Columbia, the Rick Hansen Foundation, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, and the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation.[16] [17]

The Robert H.N. Ho Research Centre, opened in September 2011, is a seven-storey, 69350square feet facility that houses three of VGH's key research programs: the Vancouver Prostate Centre at VGH; the Centre for Hip Health and Mobility; and the Ovarian Cancer Research Initiative.[18]

Facilities and amenities

VGH is the largest hospital in British Columbia, offering specialized and tertiary services to adult patients (18 and above) in Vancouver. The hospital accepts patients referred from other parts of the province requiring highly specialized services. Approximately 40% of the hospital's cases come from outside the Vancouver region.[19] Vancouver General Hospital is an internal medicine hospital,[20] with pediatric and maternal care services in the Vancouver region being offered by BC Children's Hospital and BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre, located roughly 2.5 km south of Vancouver General.[21] [22]

In addition to providing specialized and tertiary medical services, VGH is also a teaching hospital in affiliation with the University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine, providing training and advanced education to students from all disciplines. Unique in Canada is the Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre at VGH which includes the UBC Faculty of Medicine facilities. The facility houses teaching space for about 250 third and fourth year medical students and 500 postgraduate residents, and nine Faculty of Medicine programs as well as the UBC medical school library.[23] [24] [25]

VGH's main cafeteria, Sassafras Cafeteria, is located on the second floor of the Jim Pattison Pavilion. The pavilion also has a café at its main entrance called Café Ami.[26]

Facts and figures

Divisions

Emergency Room documentary series

In 2014, Knowledge Network premiered "" a six-part documentary series directed by Kevin Eastwood which follows several VGH emergency department staff and patients over a period of 80 days between February and May 2013. The series won twice at the 2014 Leo Awards, taking home Best Documentary Series and the People's Choice Award for Favourite TV Series.[32]

The second season of Emergency Room: Life + Death at VGH began on April 12, 2016.[33]

Notable deaths

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Healthcare . Definitive . Top 25 Largest Canadian Hospitals by Bed Count . 2023-06-14 . www.definitivehc.com . en . January 31, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240131035225/https://www.definitivehc.com/resources/healthcare-insights/top-largest-canadian-hospitals . live .
  2. Web site: First City Hospital Vancouver Heritage Foundation . Vancouver Heritage Foundation . 12 September 2024 . July 23, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240723060011/https://placesthatmatter.ca/location/first-city-hospital/ . live .
  3. Portraits in Time . 2024-09-11 . B.C. History of Nursing Society News . B.C. History of Nursing Society . 1 . en-ca . PDF . 21 . 3 . September 12, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240912003518/https://bcnursinghistory.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Volume21Number3Fall2010.pdf . live .
  4. Web site: An Act to Incorporate the Vancouver General Hospital . bclaws.gov.bc.ca . 12 September 2024 . en-ca . PDF . June 21, 1902 . September 12, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240912003517/https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/hstats/hstats/609220108 . live .
  5. Web site: Vancouver General Hospital - City of Vancouver Archives . searcharchives.vancouver.ca . 11 September 2024 . September 12, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240912003457/https://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/vancouver-general-hospital-12 . live .
  6. Web site: Heather Pavilion . www.heritagesitefinder.ca . 11 September 2024 . September 12, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240912003522/https://www.heritagesitefinder.ca/location/2733-heather-st-heather-pavilion-vancouver-bc . live .
  7. Web site: Home Page BCMD10 (CLF) . bcmd10.med.ubc.ca . 11 September 2024 . March 4, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240304010356/https://bcmd10.med.ubc.ca/ . live .
  8. Web site: Centennial Pavilion Vancouver General Hospital opened June 20, 1959 : [description of pavilion] - City of Vancouver Archives ]. searcharchives.vancouver.ca . 11 September 2024 . September 12, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240912003429/https://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/centennial-pavilion-vancouver-general-hospital-opened-june-20-1959-description-of-pavilion . live .
  9. Web site: O’Hanley . Jean Ann . Earthquake Risk Mitigation of Hospital Facilities: A Case Study of Vancouver General Hospital . library.ubc.ca . 11 September 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200207183401/https://open.library.ubc.ca/media/download/pdf/831/1.0086284/1 . 2020-02-07 . 126-127 . en-ca . PDF . September 1993 . live.
  10. News: May 24, 2017 . VGH wing renamed in honour of Leon Judah Blackmore after $18M donation . June 25, 2024 . CBC News . June 25, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240625224421/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/vgh-donationa-leon-judah-blackmore-1.4129792 . live .
  11. Web site: Canadian Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths - CFSID . sidscanada.org . 11 September 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080509054150/http://www.sidscanada.org/segal.html . 2008-05-09 . en-ca . 9 May 2008 . dead.
  12. News: Obituary for Sydney Segal (Aged 76) . 11 September 2024 . The Vancouver Sun . The Vancouver Sun . 25 June 1997 . 5 . September 11, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240911235311/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-vancouver-sun-obituary-for-sydney-se/82675676/ . live .
  13. Web site: Services . Office of the Premier, Ministry of Health . Jim Pattison Pavilion Tower Opened at VGH . archive.news.gov.bc.ca . 12 September 2024 . 8 May 2003 . September 12, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240912003429/https://archive.news.gov.bc.ca/releases/archive/2001-2005/2003otp0032-000446.htm . live .
  14. News: Bellett . Gerry . October 21, 2006 . $95-million VGH health centre opens . June 25, 2024 . Vancouver Sun . B5 . Newspapers.com . September 12, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240912003430/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-vancouver-sun-95-million-vgh-health/150063930/ . live .
  15. Web site: About . Centre for Lung Health . 12 September 2024 . August 6, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240806034110/https://centreforlunghealth.ca/about/ . live .
  16. Web site: Blusson Spinal Cord Centre . VSSI . 11 September 2024 . September 12, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240912003430/https://vancouverspinesurgery.com/blusson-spinal-cord-centre/ . live .
  17. Web site: Blusson Spinal Cord Centre . Make Projects . 11 September 2024 . May 23, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240523213224/https://makeprojects.ca/project/blusson-spinal-cord-centre/ . live .
  18. Web site: Thompson . Matthew . Robert H. N. Ho Research Centre . MCM Architects . 11 September 2024 . en-CA . 27 January 2024 . July 9, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240709060836/https://www.mcmparchitects.com/projects/robert-h-n-ho-research-centre/ . live .
  19. Web site: Our Hospitals and Health Care Centres . VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation . 11 September 2024 . en . January 16, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210116091305/https://vghfoundation.ca/about/our-hospitals/ . live .
  20. Web site: Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) Vancouver Coastal Health . www.vch.ca . 11 September 2024 . en . September 12, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240912003205/https://www.vch.ca/en/location/vancouver-general-hospital/about . live .
  21. Web site: Directions & Parking . www.bcchildrens.ca . 11 September 2024 . en-CA . March 1, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240301180104/http://www.bcchildrens.ca/our-services/directions-parking . live .
  22. Web site: Directions & Parking . www.bcwomens.ca . 11 September 2024 . en-CA . May 24, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240524163649/http://www.bcwomens.ca/our-services/directions-parking . live .
  23. Web site: Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre Division of Endocrinology . endocrinology.medicine.ubc.ca . 11 September 2024 . March 29, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240329041657/https://endocrinology.medicine.ubc.ca/gordon-and-leslie-diamond-health-care-centre/ . live .
  24. Web site: UBC Biomedical Branch (BMB) Library Services Woodward Library . woodward.library.ubc.ca . 11 September 2024 . September 12, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240912003052/https://woodward.library.ubc.ca/services-at-hospitals/bmb/ . live .
  25. Web site: Program Sites . MD Undergrad Education, UBC Faculty of Medicine . 11 September 2024 . September 12, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240912003053/https://mdprogram.med.ubc.ca/about/distributed-program-sites/ . live .
  26. Web site: Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) Vancouver Coastal Health . www.vch.ca . 11 September 2024 . en . May 15, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240515205046/https://www.vch.ca/en/location/vancouver-general-hospital/plan-your-visit . live .
  27. Web site: BC Injury Prevention Centre . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20161006171150/http://injuryfreekarma.com/ . 2016-10-06 . 2011-05-17.
  28. Web site: CIBC Centre for Patients & Families . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110716201955/http://www.vch.ca/find_services/find_services/?&program_id=1400 . 2011-07-16 . 2024-09-11 . vch.ca.
  29. Web site: UBC & VGH Centre of Excellence Vancouver Prostate Centre . 2024-09-11 . www.prostatecentre.com . September 2, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240902215340/https://www.prostatecentre.com/ . live .
  30. Web site: The Skin Care Centre – BC's Centre for Dermatologic Science – Home . 2024-09-11 . www.skincarecentre.ca . October 22, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161022172030/http://www.skincarecentre.ca/ . live .
  31. Web site: VCH Research Institute . 2024-09-11 . VCH Research Institute . en . September 2, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240902003802/https://www.vchri.ca/ . live .
  32. Web site: Leo Awards, All Winners 2014 . 11 June 2014 . June 7, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140607155937/http://www.leoawards.com/2014/winners_all/ . dead .
  33. Web site: 3 April 2018 . Emergency Room: Life and Death at VGH . April 5, 2016 . April 12, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160412175458/https://www.knowledge.ca/er . live .
  34. Book: McNulty . Thomas . Errol Flynn: the life and career . 2004 . McFarland . Jefferson, N.C . 978-0-7864-1750-6 . 5.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Vancouver General Hospital".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2025, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.