New Westminster, B.C. – {June 17, 2016} – A mid-sized law firm with local roots going back decades is supporting the region’s mental health needs with a gift towards redevelopment at Royal Columbian Hospital.
McQuarrie Hunter LLP has pledged $75,000 to Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation for the new 75-bed Mental Health and Substance Use Wellness Centre. The new facility, being built during phase one of hospital redevelopment, will provide a significant opportunity for groundbreaking research, increased psychiatric training and state-of-the-art patient care.
“We understand and appreciate that mental health and substance abuse are medical conditions that thousands of individuals in our community struggle with every day,” says McQuarrie Hunter LLP Partner Wade Winkler. “The new Mental Health and Substance Use Wellness Centre that is underway at Royal Columbian Hospital will play an integral role in helping families facing these challenges. We are honoured and proud to be able to play a part in making this important new facility a reality.”
The new Mental Health and Substance Use Wellness Centre will offer two and a half times as many beds as currently available. These include 45 adult inpatient beds, 10 high acuity beds, and, in a first for Fraser Health, a 20-bed Older Adult Psychiatric Unit to serve the unique needs of seniors from throughout the region.
“We know seniors have different physical and psychological requirements from other adults who come under our care,” notes Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation President and CEO Jeff Norris. “Donors like McQuarrie Hunter are helping us to address the region’s mental health needs by making thoughtful contributions to the new Mental Health and Substance Use Wellness Centre.”
Along with inpatient care, outpatient psychiatric care will benefit from the redevelopment. A number of new or expanded clinics will assess, treat and support people with complex mental health and substance issues from throughout the region.
And the new facility will serve as the hub for Fraser Health’s psychiatry and mental health education and training through the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Medicine. It will also provide research opportunities to identify best practices, influence health policy and improve prevention measures.
Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation has committed to raising $9.1 million for the new Mental Health and Substance Use Wellness Centre, which is scheduled to open in 2019.
McQuarrie Hunter LLP
McQuarrie Hunter LLP is a multi-practice firm that is optimally sized to meet the needs of a diverse range of business, individual and institutional clients. The law firm of McQuarrie Hunter was formally established in 1967, however, its roots go back as far as 1936 when Colin D. McQuarrie was called to the Bar in British Columbia and opened his practice in New Westminster.
Centre of excellence
Royal Columbian Hospital provides specialized care including cardiac services, trauma, neurosciences, high risk maternity and neonatal intensive care for some of the most seriously ill and injured people from across British Columbia. Located at the heart of one of the fastest growing health regions in Canada, the hospital serves a population of more than 1.7 million people (one in three British Columbians). Royal Columbian is also a UBC teaching hospital with a Clinical Academic Campus.
Raising Funds
Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation is an independent charitable foundation that raises millions of dollars annually to help fund priority equipment needs, facility enhancements, research, education and innovation at Royal Columbian Hospital. For more information about Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation, visit www.rchfoundation.com or contact us at 604 520 4438.