Walk into the light, airy, and totally contemporary lobby of The HOpe Centre at Lions Gate Hospital in North Vancouver, Canada, and you may feel you are stepping into a hotel rather than a healthcare facility, especially one dealing with mental health and addictions. This is not only the view of Mr Robert H. N. Ho, for whom the centre is named. It is also the perspective of people in the surrounding neighbourhood, who regularly visit the Centre’s social enterprise coffee shop for breakfast and lunch breaks on the sunny patio.

The four-storey Centre opened in Fall 2014 following a community-wide campaign that saw Lions Gate Hospital Foundation raise funds for the new facility, with Mr Ho and his wife donating a lead amount. The provincial government provided the remaining support. The building’s full name is The Greta and Robert H. N. Ho Centre for Psychiatry and Education, from which is derived the fitting short form of The HOpe Centre.

“It is a really warm welcoming centre for the community. Everyone blends in here”

- Ms Judy Savage, President, Lions Gate Hospital Foundation, Vancouver

Combined vision

The integrated facility, combining a 26-bed inpatient psychiatric unit and mental health outpatient services, is striking in its visibility. Large windows are a major feature, echoing the architectural intention to show the world that there is nothing to keep hidden about mental illness. Indeed, with statistics indicating one in five people of working age across industrialised nations are affected – one in four, including addictions – it now appears imperative to bring mental health issues into the open. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has estimated mental health costs total 3.5% of GDP. On a human level, simple respect for others also makes it essential.

For those staying at the Vancouver facility, all rooms are individual and ensuite, providing privacy and tranquility. There are communal spaces for meetings and family conversations, and a picturesque upper-level outdoor area, all making the most of exterior views. Another interesting feature is the building houses additional services. Some are related, for example, the family resource centre on mental health issues. Others are not directly linked, such as the ambulance station and University of British Columbia education centre for student doctors, but ensure the Centre serves as a diverse hub, harmonising it further with the wider community.

The HOpe Centre is living up to its name for its clients and the community. In an early comparative study, remarkable data emerged from tracking conditions over six weeks in the former facility – a rundown building constructed in 1929 and inundated with structural problems – and six weeks in the new building. Areas such as extra medication, people leaving without being discharged, security calls, police calls, and code whites (aggressive outbursts by patients) saw a 60%-70% reduction across the board.

“I had speculated there would be modest gains in efficiency but I was shocked by how much has been achieved. Our lengths of stay are far shorter now. People get better far more rapidly here and the efficiency has benefited both our region as well as Vancouver proper because we can now help out other hospitals when they are running over-capacity”

- Dr Allan Burgmann, Medical Leader for Inpatient Psychiatry, Lions Gate Hospital, Vancouver

Meeting a need

Mr Ho’s first large-scale donation to healthcare was made in 2009 when he supported the integrated Robert H. N. Ho Research Centre building at Vancouver General Hospital after medical friends alerted him to the need and benefits that could result from such a facility and its top medical research teams. This was followed in 2011 by his gift to fund construction of The HOpe Centre.

In a similar way to his donation to the Vancouver General Hospital, he had earlier asked a group of doctors he knew to tell him what was really needed at Lions Gate. They unanimously said a new mental health building. But given the perceived stigma attached to this medical area, there was concern that the community would not get behind such a fund-raising objective. His reply: “Right, I’ll do it.”

He went to visit the old building, found it a depressing experience, and knew immediately a new facility was desperately needed. His gift set a record for a single donation for Lions Gate Hospital Foundation. It also proceeded to inspire more than 5,000 other donors to make their contributions, ranging from children holding school bake sales to companies. Instead of the anticipated several years of hard campaigning, the Foundation surpassed its HOpe Centre target in just 12 months.

Just as remarkable was the discussion within the community that the fund-raising drive produced. Far from shying away from mental health issues, there was a sharing of experiences and a response to awareness-raising presentations that surprised and delighted the fund-raising team and medical staff at Lions Gate.

Mr Ho has been equally delighted, knowing from his visits to The HOpe Centre coffee shop, and conversations that ensue when he and his wife visit the local grocery store, the impact it has had at a community level. Lions Gate Hospital Foundation President Ms Judy Savage noted: “The gift was a catalyst in a number of ways. It has not only transformed how we deliver mental health services but also how we talk about mental health.”