CAMPBELL RIVER, B.C. — August 26, 2026 — The Strathcona Regional District (SRD) has officially opened a purpose-built healthcare accommodation facility on the Campbell River Hospital campus, aiming to improve access to medical services while addressing recruitment and retention challenges for healthcare professionals across North Vancouver Island.
The facility brings together two complementary initiatives — Just Like Home Lodge and Health Professionals Housing — under one roof just steps from Campbell River Hospital. The projects are designed to address accommodation barriers faced by both patients travelling for treatment and healthcare workers coming to the region for employment, training or relocation.
New Accommodation Supports Patients Travelling for Medical Care
Just Like Home Lodge includes 10 units for patients and caregivers who need to travel to Campbell River for healthcare services.
The accommodation will serve communities throughout Mid and North Vancouver Island, as well as surrounding coastal and remote areas. Guests are expected to include patients and caregivers from First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities who may otherwise face lengthy travel and accommodation challenges when accessing medical care.
The second component, Health Professionals Housing, consists of 20 self-contained suites. The units will provide flexible short- and longer-term accommodation for healthcare professionals who are working, training, relocating or considering employment opportunities in the region.
By providing temporary housing close to the hospital, the SRD hopes to remove a practical obstacle that can complicate healthcare recruitment and retention.
“These two projects turn a simple idea into practical action: if we want people to access care, and if we want health professionals to choose this region, we have to remove the barriers that stand in their way,” said SRD Vice-Chair Susan Sinnott. “Just Like Home Lodge offers comfort and dignity when patients and caregivers are away from home, while Health Professionals Housing gives people who come here to deliver care a place to land, build connections and consider making this region their home.”
Campbell River Hospital Serves 32 Communities
The regional impact of the project extends beyond Campbell River. Campbell River Hospital provides healthcare services to 32 communities across Mid and North Vancouver Island and nearby coastal areas.
Improving accommodation for visiting patients while creating housing options for healthcare professionals is therefore expected to support healthcare delivery across a geographically dispersed population.
Community Donors Contribute More Than $2 Million
The project was developed through partnerships involving regional government, healthcare organizations, donors, community groups and the private sector.
The Campbell River Hospital Foundation and its donors raised more than $2 million toward construction of Just Like Home Lodge. The funding helped establish the patient and caregiver accommodation component as a home-away-from-home for people accessing treatment in Campbell River.
Seymour Pacific Homes handled construction of the facility, working with project partners to deliver the development in what the SRD described as a cost-conscious and efficient manner.
Island Health also played a central role by enabling construction on the Campbell River Hospital campus. The location allows patients and caregivers to stay close to medical services while placing healthcare professionals immediately adjacent to their workplace.
SRD Targets Long-Term Healthcare Workforce Stability
The housing initiative comes as communities across Vancouver Island continue working to attract and retain healthcare professionals while maintaining access to services for residents in smaller and remote communities.
“The SRD is committed to building stronger, more sustainable healthcare across our region,” said Sinnott. “This facility shows what is possible when regional government, healthcare partners, donors, community organizations and the private sector come together with a shared purpose and a clear commitment to the people and communities we serve.”
First Residents and Patients to Arrive in September
Health Professionals Housing is scheduled to begin welcoming residents on September 1, while Just Like Home Lodge will start receiving patients and caregivers on September 15.
Both programs are owned and operated by the Strathcona Regional District and are located at 541 2nd Avenue on the Campbell River Hospital campus.
The combined development gives the SRD a locally operated approach to two interconnected healthcare challenges: ensuring patients can reach the services they need and giving healthcare professionals practical support as they establish themselves in the region.