Full spectrum hospice care
Located in Saskatoon, Hospice at Glengarda is Saskatchewan’s first free-standing residential hospice.
Vital to the continuum of care for palliative patients, the redesigned hospice is a welcomed addition to the community’s healthcare services. Owned by St. Paul’s Hospital and operated by Samaritan Place, the 15-bed hospice provides 24-hour care for those approaching end-of-life. With a multidisciplinary team of nurses, physicians, support staff, client care coordinators, pharmacists, social workers, and spiritual and healing arts professionals, the facility provides a full spectrum of care. This includes not only physical but mental, emotional, spiritual and social care – provided in an environment that blends the comforts of home with a professional healthcare team.
Formerly owned by the Ursuline Sisters of Prelate, the building has since transformed into a modern home-like residence. The main and upper floor of the facility is separated into three areas, each floor has two client areas with a total of 15 client rooms with their own private bathroom and small seating area. Shared kitchen and outdoor patio spaces are also included on each floor.
The lower level includes a multipurpose gathering room for day programs, multifaith programming, and even virtual wedding attendance. The Hospice at Glengarda offers a warm and welcoming atmosphere, that also supports residents’ loved ones, encouraging them to visit often and even stay overnight in one of the two sleeping rooms.
Navigating construction challenges
Engaged in the early stages of the project, our Colliers Project Leaders team provided full project management from conception through to closeout. Already decades in the making, St. Paul’s Hospital had defined a unique vision for the future of hospice care and St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation raised $20 million through fundraisers to make the project and its holistic programming possible.
Understanding the importance of the hospice to the Saskatoon community, our team organized a design charette to help clearly identify the project’s values and objectives for all parties involved.
Once construction began, the team uncovered a series of challenges. The brownfield site contained unforeseen conditions that would affect the structural integrity of the renovation project. The existing walls were found to be more damaged than anticipated, resulting in a near tear-down and reconstruction of the original facility. To overcome this challenge, our team initiated strict change management policies to ensure necessary reviews and turn-around times were completed in a timely manner. We also advocated for an operational lead to minimize the risks associated with changes occurring in the stakeholder and management team. St. Paul’s Hospital ultimately appointed an internal operations manager, which greatly improved decision making, approvals and overall project governance.
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in March 2020, the team did their best to manage this rare and unfamiliar situation. The combination of construction slowdowns and unforeseen site conditions put the project behind schedule. The owner’s group also faced material cost increases caused by supply interruptions. Our team initiated fast tracking and also met with the owner’s group to discuss other solutions to recover the project schedule. With an increased budget and new deadline for completion, the team delivered the project to the owner’s expectations. The attention and involvement St. Paul’s Hospital, Emmanuel Health Network and the stakeholder team gave throughout the project ensured that they understood and were on board with the approach to scheduling, budget and risk management. Ultimately our team’s experience, project management rigor and proven processes helped to successfully realign the project and minimize overage costs.
A vision comes to life
More than 20 years in the making, St. Paul’s Hospital and the Emmanuel Health Network have now brought their vision for palliative care to fruition. The Hospice at Glengarda accepted its first patient in late January 2021 and will continue to provide the region with enhanced, quality palliative care well into the future.
