Board approves budget hike with care tower on the way

With little discussion and a quick show of hands, directors of the Okanagan Similkameen Regional Hospital District on Thursday approved a healthy increase to the 2017 budget.

The district, which funds capital improvements at local hospitals, will spend $6.1 million this year, up from $5.8 million in 2016.

Chairman Michael Brydon said in an interview the decision will lead to an average increase of $5 per household. The remaining money comes from reserves and borrowing.

The district’s contributions “will go back to normal” in 2021, once the new patient care tower at Penticton Regional Hospital is in operation and renovations to the existing facility are complete.

“It’s what we wanted. We’ve been told for the last 10 years that people want the patient care tower. People were driving around town with bumper stickers that said, ‘Build It Now.’ And now that it’s here, we are going to have to pay our fair share,” he said.

“This changes everything,” Brydon added.

“This will help attract new residents and we can go from being a laggard in health services to a leader in the field. With a big, shiny new building it should help attract new business and many people to the area, especially retirees who are on pensions. It’s exactly what the community has called for.”

About 60 per cent of the funding for the project comes for the provincial government.

Vice-chairwoman Judy Sentes also thanked directors for their support in helping lobby Interior Health to have the new tower named in honour of philanthropist David Kampe.

“There was a small recognition service,” Sentes said. “David is a very private man and he didn’t want a lot of people. We invited him and weren’t sure if he’d come out, but he did and we were delighted.”

Brydon interjected: “The fact he showed up speaks volumes for how much he cares about this project.”

Directors also took a private tour Thursday of mock-ups of five functioning rooms that have been built.

Sentes said experts in the field have also toured the rooms. Each of the five is a different kind of room and any inadequacies can be brought to the attention of the builders.

P eople were driving around town with bumper stickers that said,‘Build It Now.’ And now that it’s here, we are going to have to pay our fair share. Michael Brydon