Parents with sick children admitted to Kelowna General Hospital now have accommodation near the facility.
The newly built JoeAnna’s House is a nearly 14,000 square foot home right next to the hospital in Kelowna, BC. It is available to families on November 25th.
Kelowna General Hospital is a tertiary referral hospital serving the entire southern interior of BC. One in four patients in the hospital comes from abroad, according to Interior Health.
Doug Rankmore, CEO of the Kelowna General Hospital Foundation, says the house is primarily intended for the families of these patients.
“I think this will make a huge difference in people’s ability to focus on the loved one who is not well,” said Rankmore Sarah Penton, host of Radio West.
“This is the culmination of many dreams and many ambitions and many hopes.”
JoeAnna’s House has a large communal living room, kitchen and fitness room, as well as 20 separate bedrooms for families. (Sarah Penton / CBC)
Jenn Goodwin, vice president of communications and culture at Interior Health, believes the new housing option will have a positive impact on out-of-town patients.
“Although JoeAnna’s home is in Kelowna, its impact will be felt across all areas of Interior Health. We know that people relax and heal better when they have a loved one nearby and are with them during clinical treatment, ”said Goodwin.
Finding a short-term living situation in Kelowna can often be difficult and expensive, according to Rankmore.
“We have stories of babies being flown out of Trail or Nelson. Mama has to stay behind because she had a caesarean section. The baby is coming alone or maybe night with dad … and they’re here and they don’t know where to go, “said Rankmore.
“We hope this is a place that will soften the landing a bit.”
“I think this will make a huge difference in people’s ability to focus on their loved one who is unwell,” said Doug Rankmore, CEO of the Kelowna General Hospital Foundation. (Shauna Nyrose)
A place to rest
JoeAnna’s House is named after Josef and Anna Huber, the founders of Prestige Hotels and Resorts – a major donor to the project.
All of the money for JoeAnna’s house came from donations from the Southern Interior community through the Kelowna General Hospital Foundation’s “Better Together” fundraising campaign. More than $ 10 million has been raised to build and operate the home.
Interior Health donated the land to the foundation for the location of the house.
The Children’s Playground at JoeAnna’s House, 321 Royal Ave., Kelowna, BC (Sarah Penton / CBC)
The complex has a large communal living room, kitchen and fitness room as well as 20 separate bedrooms for families.
JoeAnna’s house has a day area with an accessible shower room. The room was created for mothers who have babies in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit.
“There are facilities up there where they can sleep next to their sick baby. But they need a break from there,” said Rankmore.
Mothers can get a key fob for the daytime area, shower, eat, and exercise if they want. Once refreshed, they can return to the hospital to go to bed with their babies.
One of the 20 rooms in JoeAnna’s house. (Sarah Penton / CBC)
JoeAnna’s House accepts referrals for families who require hospital accommodation. The price is $ 25 per night. If someone can’t afford the fee, the house will consider alternatives depending on the situation, according to Rankmore.
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