Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre
Encyclopedia
Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre, in Halifax, Nova Scotia
, is a large teaching hospital
affiliated with Dalhousie University
. Administratively it is part of the Capital District Health Authority.
The Halifax Infirmary was established by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul
in 1886 with a new building constructed at the intersection of Queen and Morris Streets in 1903. The Sisters of Charity operated the hospital until it was taken over by the provincial government in 1973. Until 1973, the Halifax Infirmary functioned largely as the city's Roman Catholic hospital. The building was closed when the present Halifax Infirmary on Summer Street opened in 1998; the "new Infirmary" has consolidated all emergency and outpatient services for the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre, eliminating duplication between the Infirmary and Victoria General.
Camp Hill Hospital was founded by the Canadian military
in 1917 as temporary lodgings for casualties of the First World War
. It was constructed on the east side of Robie Street
across from Cherry Street and was expanded repeatedly throughout the years. In 1971 the City of Halifax
founded the Abbie J. Lane hospital adjacent to Camp Hill on the corner of Jubilee Road (now Veteran's Memorial Lane) and Summer Street. In 1987 the Camp Hill Veterans' Memorial building was opened, and the original Camp Hill facilities were subsequently demolished. The new Veteran's Memorial Building, the Abbie J. Lane Hospital, and the Halifax Infirmary on Queen Street were merged to form the Camp Hill Medical Centre. By 1992, planning had begun for construction of the new Halifax Infirmary building to replace the aging Queen Street facilities and relocate the Infirmary to the Camp Hill Medical Centre Summer Street campus.
The Victoria General Hospital was established in 1887 by the City of Halifax and the provincial government when the former City and Provincial Hospital at Rockhead, on the Northwest Arm
was renamed; the City and Provincial Hospital having been established in 1859. In 1948 a new Victoria General Hospital was opened immediately east of the land which would eventually become home to the IWK Health Centre
, a children's hospital
, on a block bounded by Tower Road, University Avenue and South Street and was the largest hospital in the province in terms of both staff and bed capacity. A hospital parking area was established in the lot between Tower Road and South Park Street; in the 1980s the lot was expanded to physically join with the hospital facilities, effectively dividing Tower Road into two sections north and south of the facility. Historically, "the VG", as it is called, was aligned with the Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine
as the province's only teaching hospital. The Victoria General Hospital's emergency and outpatient services were closed and consolidated at the new Infirmary site in 1998.
.
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, is a large teaching hospital
Teaching hospital
A teaching hospital is a hospital that provides clinical education and training to future and current doctors, nurses, and other health professionals, in addition to delivering medical care to patients...
affiliated with Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University is a public research university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The university comprises eleven faculties including Schulich School of Law and Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine. It also includes the faculties of architecture, planning and engineering located at...
. Administratively it is part of the Capital District Health Authority.
History
The current hospital is an amalgamation of four formerly independent hospitals and health care centres; the Victoria General Hospital, the Camp Hill Medical Centre, the Cancer Treatment Research Foundation, and the Nova Scotia Rehabilitation Centre. The former Halifax Infirmary and Camp Hill Hospital had previously merged to form the Camp Hill Medical Centre in 1988.The Halifax Infirmary was established by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul
Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul
The Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul were founded on May 11, 1849, when the four founding Sisters of Charity, arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia from New York. They came in response to a request by then Halifax Archbishop William Walsh. By 1856 the order, in Halifax, was accepted as a...
in 1886 with a new building constructed at the intersection of Queen and Morris Streets in 1903. The Sisters of Charity operated the hospital until it was taken over by the provincial government in 1973. Until 1973, the Halifax Infirmary functioned largely as the city's Roman Catholic hospital. The building was closed when the present Halifax Infirmary on Summer Street opened in 1998; the "new Infirmary" has consolidated all emergency and outpatient services for the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre, eliminating duplication between the Infirmary and Victoria General.
Camp Hill Hospital was founded by the Canadian military
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
in 1917 as temporary lodgings for casualties of the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. It was constructed on the east side of Robie Street
Robie Street
Robie Street is a north-south artery, street and provincial road that runs for 7 kilometres within the Halifax Peninsula area of the Halifax Regional Municipality, from Memorial Drive in the North End Halifax, to Gorsebrook Avenue in the South End. The street in most places is 4 lanes wide with a...
across from Cherry Street and was expanded repeatedly throughout the years. In 1971 the City of Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
founded the Abbie J. Lane hospital adjacent to Camp Hill on the corner of Jubilee Road (now Veteran's Memorial Lane) and Summer Street. In 1987 the Camp Hill Veterans' Memorial building was opened, and the original Camp Hill facilities were subsequently demolished. The new Veteran's Memorial Building, the Abbie J. Lane Hospital, and the Halifax Infirmary on Queen Street were merged to form the Camp Hill Medical Centre. By 1992, planning had begun for construction of the new Halifax Infirmary building to replace the aging Queen Street facilities and relocate the Infirmary to the Camp Hill Medical Centre Summer Street campus.
The Victoria General Hospital was established in 1887 by the City of Halifax and the provincial government when the former City and Provincial Hospital at Rockhead, on the Northwest Arm
Northwest Arm
The Northwest Arm, originally named Sandwich River, is an inlet in eastern Canada off the Atlantic Ocean in Nova Scotia's Halifax Regional Municipality.-Geography:...
was renamed; the City and Provincial Hospital having been established in 1859. In 1948 a new Victoria General Hospital was opened immediately east of the land which would eventually become home to the IWK Health Centre
IWK Health Centre
The IWK Health Centre is a hospital in Halifax, Nova Scotia that provides care to women, children, and youth from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.-Location:The IWK Health Centre is located in the south end of Halifax...
, a children's hospital
Children's hospital
A children's hospital is a hospital which offers its services exclusively to children . The number of children's hospitals proliferated in the 20th century, as pediatric medical and surgical specialties separated from internal medicine and adult surgical specialties...
, on a block bounded by Tower Road, University Avenue and South Street and was the largest hospital in the province in terms of both staff and bed capacity. A hospital parking area was established in the lot between Tower Road and South Park Street; in the 1980s the lot was expanded to physically join with the hospital facilities, effectively dividing Tower Road into two sections north and south of the facility. Historically, "the VG", as it is called, was aligned with the Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine
Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine
The Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine, otherwise known as Dalhousie Medical School, is a faculty at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada...
as the province's only teaching hospital. The Victoria General Hospital's emergency and outpatient services were closed and consolidated at the new Infirmary site in 1998.
Amalgamation
The Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre was formed by a provincial government order in council during a health care administration reorganization in 1994. The amalgamation was formalized by legislation in 1995-96.Physical components
The QEII Health Sciences Centre is spread across 10 buildings, which now comprise two geographically separate campuses (formally termed "sites") on the Halifax PeninsulaHalifax Peninsula
The Halifax Peninsula is a community and planning area located in the urban core of Halifax Regional Municipality in the province of Nova Scotia. Halifax Peninsula is home to Downtown Halifax, the financial and economic heart of the region, which was also the site of the original settlement and...
.
- Halifax Infirmary site buildings
- Abbie J. Lane Memorial Building (mental healthMental healthMental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...
/family medicineFamily medicineFamily medicine is a medical specialty devoted to comprehensive health care for people of all ages. It is a division of primary care that provides continuing and comprehensive health care for the individual and family across all ages, sexes, diseases, and parts of the body...
) - Camp Hill Veterans' Memorial Building (veterans health services, administered on behalf of Veterans Affairs CanadaVeterans Affairs CanadaThe Department of Veterans Affairs , also referred to as Veterans Affairs Canada , is the department within the government of Canada with responsibility for pensions/benefits and services for war veterans, retired personnel of the Canadian Forces and Royal Canadian Mounted Police, their families,...
) - Halifax Infirmary (emergency departmentEmergency departmentAn emergency department , also known as accident & emergency , emergency room , emergency ward , or casualty department is a medical treatment facility specialising in acute care of patients who present without prior appointment, either by their own means or by ambulance...
, inpatient services, outpatient clinics)
- Abbie J. Lane Memorial Building (mental health
- Victoria General site buildings
- Bethune Building (administrative offices, patient services and clinics)
- Centennial Building (inpatient and outpatient services)
- Centre for Clinical Research (resource centre for all QEII-based health research, affiliated with Dalhousie University Faculty of MedicineDalhousie University Faculty of MedicineThe Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine, otherwise known as Dalhousie Medical School, is a faculty at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada...
) - Dickson Building (Nova Scotia Cancer Centre, Specimen Collection Services)
- Mackenzie Building (Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine)
- Nova Scotia Rehabilitation Centre (physical rehabilitation)
- Victoria Building (inpatient and outpatient services)