Tag Archives: Swift Current Long Term Care

News Release

Celebrating Completion of Swift Current’s New Long Term Care Facility

Original release from saskatchewan.ca

Premier Brad Wall today offered an early welcome to residents who will begin moving into The Meadows on June 5, at a celebration of the completion of the new Swift Current long-term care facility.

“The next few months are going to be exciting as more than 200 Swift Current citizens move into their new home, the home they and their families helped design,” Wall said.  “The opening of The Meadows is an important milestone for our city and the entire province.  The facility is the result of an extraordinary collaboration between families, staff and administration, and it is the first public-private partnership completed in our province.  Saskatchewan has a well-earned reputation for innovation and excellence in health care.  That spirit is alive and well today.  The Meadows is evidence.”

The new, 225 bed long-term care facility was completed on schedule and on budget at the beginning of May 2016.  The Meadows replaces three aging long-term care facilities in the community – the Swift Current Care Centre, the Palliser Regional Care Centre and the Prairie Pioneer Lodge.

The Meadows provides 210 long-term care beds (an increase from 198), and an additional 15 beds for respite and palliative care.  The facility features a unique design of small resident homes that create a community feel and encourage social interaction among residents and the surrounding community.

“This facility has been an important priority for our region and will be a major improvement for our long-term care residents,” Cypress Health Region CEO Beth Vachon said.  “A substantial amount of work has been put behind this project from not only our staff, but also from our residents, family members, patient representatives, and others who were involved in its design.  We are very pleased that our first of three move-in days has finally arrived.  I would like to thank all of those who have been working tirelessly to prepare The Meadows for this move-in to take place.”

The Meadows is the first completed project in the province to be paid for using a P3 public-private partnership funding model in co-operation with Plenary Group, SaskBuilds and the Cypress Health Region, who will retain ownership and operation of the facility.

Those who will be calling The Meadows home will be moving into the new facility in a three phase transition, with the first residents moving in on June 5.  The second phase of move-ins will take place in early August with the final phase occurring mid-September.

Featured, News Release

Public Tour Dates Announced for The Meadows

Public tours of The Meadows, Swift Current’s new 225-bed long term care facility, will be available on May 31, June 1 and 2. The tours will provide an opportunity for the public to receive an advanced internal viewing of the beautiful new facility prior to resident occupancy.

The walking tours will be approximately 45 minutes in length with morning, afternoon, and evening opportunities available on each of the three tour dates. Up to 20 tours will be offered each day to ensure that anyone interested in a preview of the new facility will have an opportunity at a time that fits into their schedule.

Pre-registration for public tours is required. Pre-registration will help to maintain the safety and security of all tour participants and will also ensure that there are an appropriate number of participants in each tour.

For those interested in signing up for a tour they must pre-register by phone or email. Please call 306-778-5121 or email themeadowstour@cypressrha.ca to discuss the various date and time options and to book your spot.

Following the completion of public tours the health region will begin its three-phase transition plan into the new facility. The move-in plan will see all residents of the Prairie Pioneers Lodge and additional residents from the Swift Current and Palliser Regional Care Centre’s move into the new facility on Sunday, June 5. Remaining residents of the Swift Current Care Centre will move on Sunday, August 7 and the Palliser Regional Care Centre will complete its move on Sunday, September 18. Sundays were carefully selected as the most appropriate date so that, where possible, family members may be present to assist their loved ones.

Featured, News Release

Premier Wall On-Site for Handover of Keys at The Meadows

Construction of a new regional long term care facility located in Swift Current known as “The Meadows” is complete, on-time and on-budget.  Premier Brad Wall was on hand today as builders officially handed keys over to the Cypress Health Region, who own and will operate the facility.

“Long-term care residents in Swift Current and area present and future now have an outstanding new facility to call home,” Wall said.  “The Meadows together with the excellent team of professionals that will work here will ensure we are offering the best long term care possible.”

Using a public-private-partnership, or P3 model saved $16 million compared to what the project would have cost using traditional procurement models.  The Meadows will provide 225 long-term care beds in a single community for seniors, compared to the 198 beds provided previously by three facilities, and employ an additional 79 full-time equivalents.  The Meadows was designed with the involvement of staff, patients and families.

“The Meadows is a beautiful, well designed facility that is going to provide long-term care residents with the home-like model of care we are striving to achieve,” Cypress Health Region CEO Beth Vachon said.  “We continue to work hard preparing our three phase transition plan into the new facility and are very excited to be welcoming our residents into their new homes starting in early June.”

Construction of the 227,000 square foot facility, recently named The Meadows by the board of the Cypress Health Region, was built with majority Saskatchewan participation and created an estimated 500 jobs in the province.  Thirty-two Saskatchewan businesses were involved the project, making up 72 per cent of all business involved.  Ten were from Swift Current.

“I congratulate everyone who contributed their expertise to this project talent,” Swift Current and District Chamber of Commerce CEO Clayton Wicks said.  “From surveying to the masonry, The Meadows is an exhibit of Saskatchewan.  That’s the value in having so many Swift Current companies involved.   We worked knowing The Meadows will be home to people we care about.”

The design and construction phase was monitored throughout the combined design and construction phase by SSA Quantity Surveyors Ltd., an independent expert certifier responsible for verifying and certifying the work was completed as required in the project agreement.

“As the Independent Certifier for the project, we have certified that design and construction of the new facility was completed as set out in the project agreement,” SSA Quantity Surveyors Ltd. Senior Principal Tim Spiegel said.

The health region will now begin furnishing the homes, familiarizing staff to the new facility and moving in residents.  A formal grand opening is expected in the coming weeks.  Additional fundraising for furnishings will be led by the Dr. Noble Irwin Healthcare Foundation.

Featured, News Release

Transition and Move-In Plans Announced for New Swift Current Long Term Care Facility

Construction of the new 225-bed long term care facility in Swift Current is nearing completion and plans for moving staff and residents into the new facility are well underway.  A three phase transition approach is being implemented to ensure that all residents are comfortably moved into their new homes beginning in early June.

The health region has assembled a transition committee to oversee the entire move-in process.  The committee, made up of various health care providers including nursing staff, social workers, management, supporting staff, and others, is overseeing each of the move’s three phases.

The first existing facility to move into the new Swift Current Long Term Care facility will be the Prairie Pioneers Lodge (PPL). All PPL residents, plus an additional 10 residents from the Swift Current and Palliser Regional Care Centres, will be moving into the new facility on Sunday, June 5. Remaining residents of the Swift Current Care Centre will move on Sunday, August 7 and the Palliser Regional Care Centre will complete its move on Sunday, September 18.  Sundays were carefully selected as the most appropriate date so that, where possible, family members may be present to assist their loved ones.

“We are very excited to begin to transition into this beautiful new facility, which we know will be such a significant improvement for residents and staff when compared to our existing long term care facilities in Swift Current,” said Brenda Schwan, Vice President of Continuing Care and Capital Project Lead for the Cypress Health Region.  “Our transition committee has been working hard since early in the year to develop a move-in plan that will make sense for the region, but that will also align with the wishes of our residents and their families. Moving in three phases is an important step being taken to make sure that our move goes as smoothly as possible.”

Each phase will see approximately 60 residents move into one of three total neighborhoods.  The health region is making direct contact with residents and family members to discuss move-in plans and provide information regarding more specific processes, such as phone/TV transfers and mail forwarding.

“We are working hard to provide as much information as possible in advance of the move-in dates.  We know how disruptive it is for anyone to move into a new home, which is also the case for our long term care residents moving into their new homes.  The more organized we can be prior to moving in, the better the transition will be for everyone,” added Schwan.

Family members with questions about the move-in and transition process are being asked to speak with their facility’s social worker.  Updated construction and transition details will also be posted on the Cypress Health website as they become available.

News Release

Construction Camera Launched for Swift Current Capital Project

Construction of the new Swift Current Long Term Care facility is underway and with the use of a webcam set up on the construction site, you can view the progress being made from the comfort of your home or on-the-go.

The webcam is available on the Cypress Health Region website and can be viewed 24-hours per day by visiting the Swift Current Long Term Care project page and scrolling down to the ‘Construction Camera’ link. The camera takes images every 15 minutes and allows visitors to zoom in on specific areas of the site. A special feature of the webcam provides the opportunity to see the progress from the beginning of the project using a ‘time lapse camera’ feature. Images can also be shared via social media channels with a click of a button.

Another feature of the dedicated webpage that visitors will enjoy is an animation video that was developed by the Plenary Health team. The video provides a video depiction of the conceptual design for the new long term care facility. It includes an a birds-eye view encompassing the entire building and a variety of images that show the main entrance, community centre, 10-bed house, standard resident room, 15-bed house, palliative care room, and many other locations within the facility.

“These two resources were made available on our website so that everyone has the ability to join in the excitement that is building for the new long term care facility,” said Brenda Schwan, Executive Director of Human Resources and Capital Project Lead for the Cypress Health Region. “The animation video offers a sneak peek at the conceptual design of the facility and helps to offer a visual look at the home-like atmosphere that will be emphasized throughout the building.”

Schwan also noted the benefits that the construction site webcam will offer to everyone – to those who live close by the construction site, and those who live farther away and don’t have the ability to stay in touch with the construction progress. “We have utilized a similar webcam with other capital projects within the region and have received numerous notes of appreciation from people who visit the site on a regular basis,” added Schwan. “With the rapid construction timeline that has been set for the project, the webcam will allow everyone to stay up to date with the efforts of our construction partners.”

The Swift Current Long Term Care capital project will consist of 225 long term care beds and will replace the existing three facilities which currently provide long term care services in the community of Swift Current. Anticipated completion of the project is scheduled for late spring of 2016.

News Release

Construction Begins on New Swift Current Facility

The province and its partners begin construction today on the new 225-bed Swift Current long-term care centre. Construction is scheduled to be completed by spring 2016.

”We are excited to be breaking ground on this important project with the Cypress Health Region and our new partners – Plenary Health,” Premier Brad Wall said. “We are moving forward, on schedule, with our first public-private partnership project to be constructed. As a result of using a P3, we are saving taxpayers more than $16 million, which is a little more than 13 per cent, and providing additional value and innovation as well as creating jobs and economic prosperity in the local economy.”

For the full news story please visit Saskatchewan’s website.

Updates will be made throughout the project on the Swift Current Long Term Care webpage.

News Release

Private Partner Selected for Swift Current Long Term Care Facility

Plenary Group has been selected to partner with the Cypress Regional Health Authority to build the new 225 bed long-term care facility in Swift Current. The new long-term care facility will replace three aged facilities in the community and create a home-like atmosphere for seniors.

Contract negotiations will now begin with intent to finalize the terms of the contract in September 2014. The contract’s financial details and the final value for money analysis will be disclosed once contract negotiations and signing are complete.

Plenary Group was selected after successfully completing a two-staged transparent procurement process that consists of a Request for Qualifications and a Request for Proposals. Plenary Group includes the following partners.

  • Plenary Group (Canada) Ltd.
  • PCL Construction Management Inc.
  • Johnson Controls Canada Limited Partnership
  • Stantec Architecture Ltd.

“This is another big step for an important project that is a top priority for me as the MLA for Swift Current,” said Premier Brad Wall. “It is very good news that the project is coming in at a cost less than anticipated with innovations to ensure the best quality care for future residents.”

“This is an important milestone for Saskatchewan as we move toward completion of the provincial government’s first public-private partnership procurement,” said SaskBuilds Minister Gordon Wyant. “In addition to savings for taxpayers, we are impressed by the additional design innovation and construction efficiencies gained exclusively through this competitive process.”

“It is an exciting time for the health region as we are looking forward to the beginning of construction,” said Tyler Bragg, Chairperson of the Cypress Regional Health Authority. “The quality of the proponent teams’ submissions was certainly evident and we are confident that our desired model of care will be able to be offered within the final design awarded. We continue to be appreciative to the provincial government for this capital project opportunity, to our resident and family representatives and staff for their involvement during the design process, and to the residents of municipal councils for their financial support towards the local share of the project.”

“This project demonstrates our government’s commitment to renewing health care infrastructure in Saskatchewan,” said Health Minister Dustin Duncan. “Once completed, the new facility will improve the quality of life for seniors living in long-term care in Swift Current.”

The facility is a design-build-finance-maintain P3 procurement. Construction is scheduled to begin in late summer-early fall 2014 with completion by spring 2016.

The Cypress Health Region will maintain full ownership of the facility and will operate all aspects of the direct care provided within the facility. Existing health region staff will provide services for residents and maintain the provincial standards and guidelines that have been set for long-term care programs and services within the province.

The long-term care facility will be built on a parcel of land owned by the Cypress Health Region that is adjacent to the regional hospital.