The community of Williams Lake is going to be part of the excitement every time a baby is born once the Cariboo Memorial Hospital (CMH) redevelopment is complete.
One of the many features in the new, state-of-art facility to be completed next year, includes a button in each maternity room that families can push to activate coloured lights and a chime to announce the arrival of a new baby.
“After the baby is born, a dad, a partner, a sibling can come over here and push a button that will sound the chime to announce the birth of the baby throughout the entire building,” said Lisa Ryll, manager, clinical operations, during a tour of the new maternity unit last month. Lisa was part of the capital planning team for the CMH redevelopment.
“Or, they can push the button for a certain colour that will light up the stairwell and every unit to let us all know a baby has been born. It can be blue or pink or any other colour they like.”
The lights will be able to be seen inside the new expansion at every nursing care team station. Additionally, the community will also be able to see the lights lit up on the external stairwells of the hospital.
Having the chimes and lights as part of the redevelopment was a passion project for Ryll when she worked on it.
“The birth of a new baby is a big deal. Having the chimes sound makes everyone pause and reflect that a new life was born. Also, I think it reminds everyone that hospitals are not just about sickness and dying, they are also a place where really positive things happen, and the birth of a new baby is one of those.”
Tina Pole, who has been the clinical operations manager for the maternity unit at CMH since 2023, says she is very excited to see the new unit and the many improvements, which will include four single room maternity care rooms where expectant moms will labour, deliver, receive post-partum care and be discharged from. Each room has a full private bathroom with bathtubs and showers, ample space and bright windows overlooking the city.
Additionally, the maternity unit will also have two women’s health rooms and two nursery rooms.
“I think that it’s super cool that the community is going to be a part of us celebrating a baby being born and a new life coming into the world when they see the lights at the hospital,” said Pole.
More than more than 260 babies are born every year on average at CMH.
Editor's note: On the evening of Friday, April 25, at about 10 p.m. the chimes went off much to the delight of people sitting waiting to be seen in the emergency room. Many of the people sitting there said hearing the chimes made their day.
"That's the nicest thing I've heard all day," said one woman.
