Following extensive efforts and multiple reviews of submitted construction tenders for the integration of health care facilities in Leader, the Cypress Health Region has cancelled the initial ‘call for construction tenders’ process. The inability to award the construction tender at this time was directly due to the proposed tender submissions being substantially higher than the budgeted capital construction amount approved by the provincial Ministry of Health and Cypress Health Region.
The health region is continuing to work with local staff, the Ministry of Health and the project’s architectural partner, AODBT Architecture, to revise the overall design of the project and prepare documents for a second ‘call for construction tenders’. The revised design will attempt to incorporate the required changes that will meet the overall approved budgeted capital construction amount.
“We are very disappointed that the construction tender award cannot be completed at this time,” commented Brenda Schwan, Vice President of Continuing Care and Capital Project Lead for the health region. “Following the receipt of the initial tenders and subsequent efforts to find some efficiencies, it became clear that the bidding companies’ proposals would not meet the available budget.”
Extensive planning and design work has been completed on the proposed amalgamation of all health services under one roof. Staff and physicians, patient and family representatives, community members, municipal stakeholders, and the project’s architectural consultants have provided their input and feedback into the new integrated facility design.
Schwan added that the previous work will continue to be utilized in the re-design of the integrated facility project and that the working groups will be involved in the next steps. “We have identified several potential revisions to the current design that will not affect the provision of health programs and services, but will reduce the overall construction costs,” added Schwan. “Our working groups will develop a new design that will meet the capital construction budget for the project, and we look forward to the distribution of another call for tenders in the near future.”
The health region would like to emphasize that the facility integration project for Leader remains a top priority. They would like to express their gratitude to the municipal councils for their financial commitment to the project, to the variety of fundraising efforts being undertaken for future equipment and furnishings needs, and to the staff and working groups for their planning efforts.
The proposed capital project includes the addition of acute care, emergency medical services and universal care unit, along with renovations to the existing Western Senior Citizens Home to accommodate the integration of health services. The project will result in a continuum of health services being located under one roof at the current location of the Western Senior Citizens Home.
As more updates are available in relation to the progress and status of the construction tender process, they will be passed along to the staff and public.