Medical tower named after generous construction company owner slated to open

PENTICTON, B.C — A medical tower in B.C.’s South Okanagan region is set to open this month.

The 84-bed David E. Kampe Tower at Penticton Regional Hospital (PRH) boasts a new ambulatory care centre with outpatient services, including cardiology, neurology, orthopedics, respiratory, pre-surgical screening and maternal clinics. The six-storey tower also adds five operating rooms, three minor procedure rooms, two endoscopy rooms and a cystoscopy room.

“This is a great day for public health care for people in Penticton and throughout the South Okanagan, as the David E. Kampe Tower will deliver better care for families,” said Adrian Dix, minister of health, in a press release. “The facility will have more beds, more operating rooms, state-of-the-art diagnostics and easy access to a number of outpatient services.”

The tower also includes a nuclear medicine program, rooftop helipad and space for the UBC faculty of medicine program to grow. Patients in the area will be able to access an MRI machine that will replace the hospital’s slower, mobile machine, the release reads.  

The total project cost of $312.5 million was shared between the provincial government, the Okanagan-Similkameen Regional Hospital District, Interior Health and the South Okanagan Similkameen Medical Foundation.

Kampe, who the tower is named after, is the owner of Peter Bros. Construction and a significant donor to the hospital.

“The development of Penticton Regional Hospital is near and dear to my heart, having lived and worked in the South Okanagan for my entire life,” said Kampe. “Being able to support the hospital project is a great honour. When I look at what we have built, I think of the families that will benefit from the facility and the medical professionals and support staff that will provide the first-class services. While I appreciate the acknowledgment, the thanks should go to the people who made this vision a reality and the people who provide the services. I’m thrilled to see this new tower opening.”