About Us
History of the Department

1. The First Childrens Hospital - 1909
2. A Physician-in-Chief is Appointed
3. The Izaak Walton Killam Hospital is born
4. The IWK Health Centre Today

IWK Health Center Today

Building on a commitment to quality care:
IWK Children’s Site Redevelopment project underway

The Children’s Site facility at the IWK was constructed in the late 1960s when standards and practices in health care were quite different than they are today. While care has changed, the physical environment at the IWK has not kept pace.
To align the physical structure of the IWK Children’s Site with the Health Centre’s commitment to excellence in family-centred patient care, in the winter of 2004/2005, the IWK launched a five-year project to build better care for its patients and families through redeveloped patient care areas within the Health Centre’s Children’s Site.

“This project reaffirms the IWK Health Centre’s commitment to continually evolving in order to provide the best possible care for our region’s children, youth, women and families,” says Anne McGuire, President and CEO, IWK Health Centre. “It is our hope that the redevelopment of existing patient care areas and the addition of new care space within the Children’s Site will provide a more comfortable care environment that at the same time supports the IWK’s focus on learning and harnessing improved health care technologies.”

Priority areas

The IWK Children’s Site Redevelopment project includes the construction of 48,000 square feet of new space, as well as the renovation and retrofitting of 160,000 square feet of existing space. The new space will include an inpatient care addition over the existing Link building to create the 6th/7th floors of the Link. The three Children’s Site project priority areas include the redevelopment of:

• inpatient units – care units for patients staying overnight;
• perioperative facilities – operating rooms, a recovery room and day surgery space;
• ambulatory care space – outpatient or clinic space.

Funding for the project

The redevelopment of the Children’s Site is expected to cost approximately $48 million over five years. In December 2004, the government of Nova Scotia announced their commitment of $6.48 million in the 2004/2005 fiscal year for this redevelopment. This $6.48 million represents part of a total commitment of $36 million from the Department of Health to the Children’s Site Redevelopment project over the next several years. The rest of the project costs (25 per cent or $12 million) will be covered by the IWK Health Centre Foundation. The Foundation is already well on the way to reaching this fundraising goal.

“We appreciate that major construction projects like the Children’s Site Redevelopment can cause some disruption for our patients, their families and visitors, as well as IWK staff and volunteers,” says Anne. “Without everyone’s support, cooperation and flexibility, this project wouldn’t be possible. Once complete, the new IWK Children’s Site will be a facility of which we can all be proud. To all those who visit our facility, thank you for bearing with us through this important project!”