Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops has reached another major milestone in its long-term redevelopment with the completion of a new acute treatment area in the Teck Emergency Department.
The new space is part of the multi-year Royal Inland Hospital Patient Care Tower Project to modernize the hospital and increase its capacity to serve patients across the region.
The new acute treatment area is intended for patients requiring urgent medical care, close monitoring and rapid access to testing and treatment. The space is better designed, which leads to better patient flow, and more visibility and monitoring for healthcare teams. The space emphasizes increased patient comfort, privacy and safety for families and caregivers.
The new facility includes eight examination rooms, a waiting area, two care team stations, a medication room and a family room that connects directly to the hospital’s previously completed mental health and substance use services.
As part of the upgrades, existing treatment spaces have also been transformed. Curtained bays have been replaced by fully enclosed treatment rooms with sliding doors and hand hygiene sinks, which provide greater privacy and infection prevention.
With this phase now complete, construction teams are moving into the final stage of the Patient Care Tower Project. The next phase will expand the hospital’s trauma and resuscitation area, adding two new trauma bays and two dedicated resuscitation rooms — the first of their kind at Royal Inland Hospital. The expanded space is expected to welcome patients in the spring of 2027.
The emergency department expansion forms part of the broader $490.28 million Royal Inland Hospital redevelopment. The project also included the construction of the 107-bed Phil and Jennie Gaglardi Patient Care Tower, which opened in 2022, along with extensive renovations to existing hospital facilities.
Once all work is complete, the hospital’s emergency department will be approximately 68% larger, increasing its treatment capacity from 47 to 73 patient spaces.
The redevelopment is funded by the Province of British Columbia, the Thompson Regional Hospital District and the Royal Inland Hospital Foundation. The Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc, Le7 te Melámen Health Society and the Two Rivers Métis Society have also contributed to the project in support of improving healthcare services for the region.
