Vancouver Island health officials say a new 230-bed hospital planned for near Mount Washington would close St. Joseph's Hospital in Comox.

Jac Kreut, chair of the Vancouver Island Health Authority, said Wednesday that under the proposal, St. Joseph's would be converted to a care facility, while the hospital in Campbell River would remain open for emergencies and acute care.

Kreut said the new North Island Regional Hospital would offer more complicated acute care for the region, along with high-tech diagnostics.

The goal is to attract and retain specialists by locating them at one site — instead of dividing resources between two existing hospitals, he said.

"Health-care professionals are a scarce resource and they aren't particularly drawn to older hospitals with less facilities [and] less capabilities," Kreut said.

Critics say officials not listening

However, the authority is being criticized for its decision to build the new hospital near the Comox Valley.

Opponents of the plan say the health authority's public consultations clearly showed residents in both Campbell River and the Comox Valley want their existing hospitals upgraded, instead of a single regional hospital.

Communities to the north had called for any regional hospital to be built no farther south than Campbell River.

North Island MLA Claire Trevena said the decision shows the authority wasn't listening.

"I'm very disappointed they've chosen to go so far south," Trevena said. "They say this was a … tough decision. I think it's just a sign they're not listening to people." 

Health officials maintain that the entire North Island will be better served by a regional hospital located near the Inland Island Highway and Dove Creek Road.

The project could take up to 10 years to complete and cost more than $200 million.

A final plan will be submitted in about 18 months to the provincial government for funding.