The newly constructed HOpe Centre is a four-storey mental health and addictions facility located on the southeast corner of the Lions Gate Hospital campus in North Vancouver. The facility will house a 26-bed psychiatric inpatient unit as well as allow for enhanced integration, with mental health outpatient clinics and community mental health programs being housed under one roof. This new Centre for Clinical Excellence will become the hub of activity for mental health services for the entire Coastal Community of Care.
Some of the features of the HOpe Centre include:
- 26 private patient rooms, each with its own bathroom
- A café staffed by mental health clients
- New teaching space to support UBC medical education programs, a research centre, clinical research trials unit, a library, and clinical skills teaching unit
- A new Resource Centre and Sacred Space for patients and families
Dr. Dean Brown, UBC’s Educational Director at Lions Gate Hospital, took the time to answer a few questions about the HOpe Centre, and what it means for teaching and learning capacity in North Vancouver.
What kinds of academic spaces will now be available at Lions Gate Hospital with the opening of the HOpe Centre?
About 9000 sq ft. This is of course a ‘UBC campus’, with office, clinical skills rooms, A/V and teaching rooms, on-call rooms, lounge area, library, and more.
One exciting feature: a new Simulation Education Center, where learners participate in a great range of realistic simulated clinical scenarios, using high-tech mannequins, with IT support to record and review what happens. This enables individuals and teams to practice and learn at a very high level.
What will having this academic space mean for (a) students and (b) the community?
A huge step up in our ability to accommodate learners from all levels of medical education – undergraduate, postgraduate, but also LGH medical staff, and interprofessional learning.
How many students (on average) work/learn at LGH?
Up to 30 UBC students and 30 residents at any moment. This can vary a lot from month-to-month.
Will teaching capacity increase with the new space?
Yes it will increase a great deal, both in numbers and in the range of educational activities we provide. Hard to quantify, since learners at all levels will be coming and going. In addition to UBC learners, we hope to accomodate medical and other health professionals, from LGH and beyond, including educational involvement with Coastal rural communities.