Royal Columbia Hospital

The Royal Columbian Hospital (RCH) in New Westminster British Columbia is a level 1 trauma center with 450 acute care beds and 12 OR’s. RCH is the primary acute care hospital within the Fraser Health region which services a population of 1.75 million people. RCH perform on average 970 open-heart cases per year. These are comprised of CABG’s, valve replacement/repairs, and complex aortic procedures. There are 13 perfusionists at RCH supporting all cardiac procedures including 170 IABP procedures, 435 cell savers and 20-30 ECLS cases per year. RCH is also the only 24/7 ECLS retrieval program in BC with custom built ECLS transport equipment designed for both ground and air transport. RCH is also a designated clinical training site for the BCIT perfusion technology program.

RCH has taken an innovative approach to its perfusion staffing model. We have adopted a larger staffing contingent than traditionally found in perfusion. This has not only allowed for work/life balance opportunities for staff, through flexible scheduling and strict fatigue management strategies, but has also shown improved cost and operational efficiencies for Fraser Health.