QEII Halifax Infirmary Expansion Project Questions and Answers

Construction activities are closely coordinated with hospital operations to ensure that the
impacts from noise and disruption that is inherent to construction do not negatively impact the
quality of care delivered by healthcare teams.

Comprehensive planning and continuous collaboration with clinical teams will ensure patient
care remains high quality, with clear points of contact in emergencies and teams ready to
mobilize contingencies to address a breadth of challenges.

Ongoing monitoring of air quality, noise and vibrations is conducted, and mitigation measures
like sound barriers, filtered ventilation systems, and scheduled work hours are in place to
minimize disruptions.

The Acute Care Tower will connect to the existing Halifax Infirmary building on 3 floors of the
existing HI.

A phased transition plan, developed in consultation with clinical teams, and supported by third
party transition and relocation expertise, will ensure services are relocated systematically
while maintaining access to patient care.

Enhanced safety protocols, clear signage, secure barriers (hoarding walls), and ongoing
communication will be implemented to safeguard staff and patients near construction areas.

• The Emergency Department (ED) expansion is designed to meet the growing demand for
  emergency services, ensuring patients receive care in a timely and efficient manner. The
  addition of new, advanced operating rooms will also enhance surgical capacity and improve
  the delivery of care.
• By optimizing space and implementing operational efficiencies, the expanded facilities will
  support improved access to services.

• Nova Scotians will have better access to the healthcare they need with a new acute care tower
  that features 216 beds, 16 operating rooms, an intensive care unit and a new, larger
  emergency department.
• This new space will enable efficiencies that will contribute to increased access and improved
  wait times.
• Completion of the acute care tower will allow services to be relocated from aging facilities at
  the QEII VG site to a modern, new building and renovated program spaces at the QEII HI site.
• The new acute care tower will provide:
  • additional capacity to meet patient needs in the Emergency Department, operating
    rooms and ICU
  • a facility that allows for more efficient operations, enabling better patient outcomes and
    streamlined workflows (thanks to input from healthcare providers)
  • a modern, light-infused, contemporary workplace for clinicians and other health
    professionals, with new equipment and advanced technology that will support
    recruitment and retention
  • a facility that is easier to navigate, with a welcoming feel, and
  • new underground and Emergency Department surface parking.

•  The QEII Renew team, Central Zone leadership and DHW are working closely together to
  finalize the clinical services plan for the new acute care tower.
• At this stage of planning:
  • Inpatient units, including ICU, and Surgical Services (Operating Rooms) will be relocated
    from the Centennial Building at the VG to the HI campus
  • Select Laboratory services will be relocated from the Mackenzie Building at the VG to
    the HI campus
  • Select Ambulatory Procedures, components of Interventional Radiology and Medical
    Device Reprocessing will be relocated from the Centennial and Victoria Buildings at the
    VG to the HI campus

Master planning is currently underway for the QEII campus, with discussions in the preliminary
stages. Decisions regarding the future of key facilities currently located at the HI and VG sites,
are integral to this process. As planning evolves, we will provide further updates. Our primary
focus is to develop a plan that optimizes services for our patients and communities.

Master planning is currently underway for the QEII campus, with discussions in the preliminary
stages. Decisions regarding the future of key facilities currently located at the HI and VG sites,
are integral to this process. As planning evolves, we will provide further updates. Our primary
focus is to develop a plan that optimizes services for our patients and communities.

Healthcare master planning is a comprehensive, strategic process that involves assessing the
current and future needs of a healthcare organization, optimizing the use of its physical
facilities and resources, and designing long-term plans to ensure the effective and efficient
delivery of care. This process includes the evaluation of patient demand, infrastructure,
technological advancements, and regulatory requirements, with the goal of creating adaptable,
sustainable environments that support the organization's mission and growth.

Acute Care Tower: 216 acute care beds (an additional 36 under Action for Health), 16 operating
rooms (an additional four added under Action for Health), and specialized inpatient care units,
including a 48 bed Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

• Diagnostic and Treatment Facilities: A satellite diagnostic imaging department in the
  Emergency Department, new and upgraded lab spaces including a pathology lab
  adjacent to the new Operating Rooms, and additional treatment spaces, including
  hyperbaric medicine.
• A new, expanded Emergency Department: A larger and more efficient emergency
  department to handle increased patient volumes.

More than 1 million square feet

Starting at substantial completion, the Province (or QEII Renew project team) will work with
Nova Scotia Health to activate the new tower for patient care. It is anticipated that the acute
care tower will be ready to receive patients 12 months after substantial completion - 2031.

• Construction activities: completion of construction deficiencies and deferred works to achieve
  Final Completion (construction is not actually fully complete at Substantial completion)
• Installation and commissioning of all not-in-contract furniture, fixtures, equipment and
  technology
• Finalization of workflows and processes within and between departments in the new space
• Hiring, onboarding and training staff and medical staff who will be delivering care in the new
  spaces
• Stocking areas with all necessary supplies
• Bringing online ancillary and support services first, then patient-facing services

The naming of the Acute Care Tower is being explored in collaboration with the QEII
Foundation.

The Halifax Infirmary (HI) campus will have 216 inpatient beds, consolidating care from the
Victoria General (VG) campus.

•  36 of these 216 beds were part of the Action for Health announcement.
• There will be 48 ICU beds, also supporting the consolidation from the VG to the HI campus.
• The 216 beds will be leveraged to decant patients from existing areas.
• The new ICU space will be larger than the current ICU facilities.

• The operating rooms at the Victoria General (VG) campus will close, with surgeries relocating
  to the new ORs in the Acute Care Tower at the Halifax Infirmary (HI).
• Of the 16 new ORs, 4 are net new, while the rest replace existing spaces at the VG.
• The current 17 ORs at the HI will remain in operation alongside the new ORsNova Scotia Health (NSH) and the Department of Health and Wellness (DHW) will assess
  surgical priorities to determine how to allocate the additional surgical capacity.

This information is under development. There will be new positions, and some positions
associated with programs/services will be relocated from the VG site.

Yes, we will actively collaborate with universities and colleges in Nova Scotia and across
Canada, including medical school programs and NSCC, to support training initiatives for the
skilled professionals needed when the Acute Care Tower opens in 2031-32.

• Public engagement is planned but has not yet begun. We are committed to incorporating
  public input through a Patient and Family Advisor (PFA) group and by engaging user groups
  focused on public spaces. These efforts will ensure that patient and community perspectives
  are considered in the design and planning process.
• Additionally, we are planning outreach to various stakeholders and a community open house to
  keep the public informed as the project progresses.

Information about any impacts, including changes to services or access, will be communicated
to patients through Nova Scotia Health’s website, newsletters, direct patient communications,
and signage throughout the facility to ensure they are well informed.

The new Acute Care Tower project includes the development of additional underground
parking. An operational decision will be made by NSH closer to the time of the tower's opening
about how this new parking capacity will be used.

The current contract is in place from August 26, 2024, until March 31, 2028, unless terminated
sooner. We will be evaluating the service as we move closer to the tower's opening to ensure it
meets the needs of staff and patients.

The project has made provisions to deliver the furniture and equipment required to operate the
new acute care tower. This equipment will be up to date and integrated into the design and
flow of the new spaces.

Equipment in good repair that is associated with services being relocated from the VG site
may be relocated; these decisions will be made in partnership with the respective clinical
programs and NSH Clinical Engineering closer to Substantial Completion