To support growing demand for long-term care beds, the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador has announced that a new long-term care home will begin construction in Corner Brook in fall 2017.

The new facility marks the beginning of a new Western Memorial Regional Hospital campus and will include 120 long-term care beds, as well as 15 palliative care beds and 10 rehabilitative care beds.

A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is being issued to establish an industry short list to solicit proposals. This follows a comprehensive value for money assessment which evaluated methods for designing, building, financing and maintaining the new facility. It will be built and maintained by a private company(s), with resident care being administered and provided by public sector employees.

A Request for Proposals will be issued to qualifying firms after the RFQ process is complete.

This initiative is one of more than 50 included in The Way Forward: A Vision for Sustainability and Growth in Newfoundland and Labrador. The vision guides Provincial Government actions to achieve greater efficiency, strengthen the province’s economic foundation, enhance services, and improve outcomes to promote a healthy and prosperous province.

Dwight Ball, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, said:

“As outlined in The Way Forward, our government is proceeding with a new long -term care home in Corner Brook. Creating more space in long-term care will ease pressure on the health care system, moving people more quickly from acute care beds to more appropriate care. This is the first construction project for the new Western Memorial Regional Hospital campus in Corner Brook, and will set the stage for the larger health care project in the future."

Al Hawkins, Minister of Transportation and Works, said:

“It is important for our government to explore innovative ways to advance needed infrastructure and deliver services in a cost-effective manner. By partnering with private industry, we can help ensure a new facility is designed, built, financed and maintained in a way that provides greater value for money.”

John Haggie, Minister of Health and Community Services, said:

“By 2025, one in four Newfoundlanders and Labradorians will be seniors. Our government is committed to a strong health care system that meets the needs of our aging population. Working systematically to increase long-term care beds throughout the province will help us meet that commitment.”