Ronald McDonald House BC & Yukon Announces Expansion Plans with New Family Room at Royal Inland Hospital
Family-centered Kamloops location will open in 2024
Vancouver, B.C. (January 20, 2020): Ronald McDonald House BC & Yukon (RMH BC) is expanding across the province with a new Family Room at Royal Inland Hospital (RIH) in Kamloops, BC Launched in partnership with Interior Health and Royal Inland Hospital Foundation, the new Family Room will offer a home-like retreat for parents and loved ones of all pediatric patients undergoing medical treatment for illness or injuries at RIH.
Part of Phase Two of the RIH Patient Care Tower project, the new Family Room will provide close-to-home support to parents and loved ones of pediatric patients from Kamloops and surrounding communities.
“We are very excited about the addition of a Ronald McDonald House Family Room at Royal Inland Hospital as part of Phase 2 renovations on the Patient Care Tower project,” said Meagan Hanson, Director of Clinical Operations for RIH. “RIH is a 
tertiary site that serves a large geographic area, it can be very difficult and stressful for a family when their child is receiving services at this hospital and they are from another community within our region. This is the opportunity to make life a bit easier for these families. We look forward to working with Ronald McDonald House to create this new space for families at RIH.”
The Family Room, slated to open its doors in 2024, will be designed as a comforting retreat for families seeking solace and a place for rest and relaxation. The Family Room at RIH will play a key role, providing a community of support to parents where they are able to build connections with others in a calm and supportive environment. The Kamloops Family Room will be the second to open in BC, with the first located at Surrey Memorial Hospital.
“We are excited to be deepening our mission to serve families from the interior with our second Family Room at Royal Inland Hospital,” says Richard Pass, CEO of Ronald McDonald House BC & Yukon. “The Family Room will provide a non-clinical rest area for family members of children admitted for treatment at the hospital. Parents can rest and relax just steps from their child’s bedside.”
The Family Room will be situated next to the Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Units: patients and their siblings can let off steam in the Family Room’s play area, while parents may rest, prepare hot meals and snacks, or enjoy a complimentary cup of coffee. The space has yet to be designed, however will include sleeping rooms and a range of complimentary amenities.
“We are honoured to be working with Ronald McDonald House in their expansion outside of the lower mainland and are thrilled to be able to offer even better comfort to patients and their families,” Heidi Coleman, CEO of the Royal Inland Hospital Foundation, stated.
RMH BC looks forward to continuing their support for families across BC and the Yukon. The organization’s expansion to RIH – which serves more than 225,000 people from the Thompson Cariboo Shuswap region – will dramatically enhance the hospital’s support of residents in Kamloops and surrounding areas.
Further updates and information on the Kamloops Family Room will be provided at a press conference held on Thursday, January 23 from 10-11am at the Royal Inland Hospital (311 Columbia Street, Kamloops, BC). For those interested in attending and conducting interviews, please contact Kristy Buchner, kristy.buchner@interiorhealth.ca.
For more information about RMH BC, please visit www.rmhbc.ca.
