Health Minister Terry Lake was joined by philanthropists Joseph and Rosalie Segal and guests today to officially mark the start of construction on the new Joseph & Rosalie Segal Family Health Centre, which will help support those living with mental illness and substance use challenges.

What is different about this facility?
The new centre will be the largest of its kind at approximately 131,800 square feet and be located on the grounds of Vancouver General Hospital.

It will consolidate mental health and substance use, inpatient, outpatient and outreach services, providing families with a seamless, safe and easy way to access care. It will have 100 private patient rooms, each with its own ensuite bathroom. The building will also have:

• Exercise facilities
• Areas for meditation and quiet time
• Rooftop gardens and safe outdoor space
• Research and academic spaces

When will the new facility open?
The centre is expected to open in spring 2017 and will meet LEED Gold green building certification standards to minimize its environmental footprint.

“When this facility opens, we can look forward to it providing specialized care and support,which adults with mental illness and substance use challenges need,” said Dr. Soma Ganesan,medical director of psychiatry for Vancouver General Hospital.

We appreciate our donors
The new centre will cost approximately $82 million. The Province is contributing $57 million. VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation and its corporate and private donors committed $25 million, including a $12 million dollar contribution from Vancouver philanthropists Joseph and Rosalie Segal—one of the largest-ever personal gifts for mental health in Canada.

“A great number of people walking the streets around the world have a mental health problem of one type or another. There is a stigma,” said Joseph Segal. “That’s why this project is so important to us, and we’re glad to see the ground broken and construction moving forward.”

Original source: VCH Healthcare.

More support is still needed.