Thomson Centre to get more renovations to house more long-term care patients

The Yukon government will renovate the Thomson Centre beside Whitehorse General Hospital to meet the territory’s growing continuing care needs,

The Yukon government will renovate the Thomson Centre beside Whitehorse General Hospital to meet the territory’s growing continuing care needs, Health Minister Glenn Hart said Monday.

“We are going out with a (request for proposals), and consultation to determine what’s required to upgrade the facility to meet the current standards that are required for a continuing care facility,” said Hart, who expected the fix on the mothballed $11.2-million facility to “be substantial.”

Originally opened in 1993, the Thomson Centre closed to continuing care patients in 2002 after Copper Ridge Place opened.

“We were going to take advantage of (the Thomson Centre) being empty to paint and renovate and in doing that, we discovered that there were issues with the ceiling ... and then they found mould,” said Pat Living, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Social Services.

While the mould was removed and the hospital keeps office space and operates physiotherapy clinics there, the building does not meet code to house patients. Doors in patients’  rooms are not large enough to accommodate wheelchair access, for example.

However, a recent bed shortage at the hospital in November – compounded by the hospital housing long-term care patients – has reinvigorated debate about what to do with the Thomson Centre.

Currently, the territory provides 145 long-term care spaces at three facilities; two in Whitehorse and one in Dawson City. According to Living, there are seven people on a waiting list for long term care.

Living told the Star there is one patient classified as long-term care occupying one of the hospital’s 49 beds,  but “this number fluctuates all the time,” she noted.

During question period Monday, opposition MLAs sparred with Hart over why nothing was done to address the underutilized Thomson Centre and whose government was responsible for the state of affairs.

“Four years ago, this government was warned of this growing crisis,” said Liberal Leader Arthur Mitchell.  “What’s the excuse going to be next year, when the waiting list is longer?”

New Democratic Party House Leader Steve Cardiff also weighed into the debate, calling long-term care “one of the most pressing needs facing Yukoners today.”

To both MLAs’ questions, Hart responded that work is underway to determine what is required to open up 20 beds in a facility originally designed for 44 beds.

Budget constraints would prevent a complete renovation at this time, Hart added.

“Realistically, we couldn’t afford to upgrade the entire facility and utilize it for that process,” the Health minister told Cardiff, after charging it was the former NDP government which “vacated that facility and stripped it to take ... the beds, et cetera, up to Copper Ridge.”