The project included the addition of 60 beds and the completion of the sixth and seventh floor at Vernon Jubilee Hospital Polson Tower, which were originally set aside with future patient needs in mind.
Of the 60 beds, 14 were new and the remaining 46 are relocated from elsewhere in the hospital. The beds are used primarily for single-patient rooms. Previously, they were located in four-bed and double-occupancy wards. The total number of beds at the Vernon Jubilee Hospital increased from 140 regular and eight temporary beds (148 total) to 162 beds.
Completed as part of the Kelowna / Vernon Hospitals Project, the Polson Tower includes an expanded emergency, maternity and pediatrics department, ambulatory care, surgical services, intensive care, and medical device reprocessing. The Polson Tower was also recently awarded a LEED Gold certification and is the first building in Vernon to achieve this.
The Polson Tower was officially opened for patients in October 2011. The $180-million Polson Tower added 16,815 square metres (181,000 square feet) of space to the Vernon Jubilee Hospital site.