The North Cumerland Hospital is designed to align with the Community Emergency Care (CEC) model, revolutionizing rural healthcare delivery throughout Nova Scotia. This model integrates clinical primary care, urgent care, ambulatory care, community services, diagnostic services, and a four-bed short-stay inpatient care unit, all within a single, standalone facility. By nurturing functional relationships among these services, the hospital aims to deliver efficient, best-practice, and timely care, optimizing the use of limited human resources.
A portion of the short-stay beds is dedicated to palliative care, with design efforts focused on maximizing patient privacy, providing exterior views and garden spaces, and creating a quiet zone with reflective family areas, away from the hustle and bustle of adjacent emergency care zones.
Strategically positioned on a constrained site, the new facility includes a protected landscaped courtyard and healing garden. This design builds on the existing relationship with the adjacent long-term care home, enhancing the overall therapeutic environment.