BURST
Mission Memorial Hospital’s emergency department is set for an $18-million overhaul — welcome news for a community that has faced persistent ER closures and service disruptions since last summer.
Continuing physician staffing shortages have forced the ER to close multiple times, including one weekend shutdown in late March and four separate closures in August 2024.
In January last year, a burst pipe flooded the unit, causing a weeklong closure. While repairs are now complete, the incident sparked a thorough review of the department’s layout and capacity.
With provincial funding and approval secured, hospital officials say the redesigned emergency department will be 35 per cent larger, increasing care spaces from 17 to 41. The upgrade will include a resuscitation room for critical interventions such as cardiac arrest and a specialized airborne isolation room to treat patients with infectious diseases.
Health officials are hopeful the revitalized ER will improve patient care and help attract and retain staff to meet the needs of a growing community. The upgrade is part of a broader effort to modernize health-care infrastructure across the Fraser Valley.
“Mission is expanding rapidly, and we’re hoping that expanding our ER space will enable us to treat more patients and onboard more physicians, now having space to allow them to practise in the department,” said Dr. Paul Theron, site medical director at Mission Memorial.
Theron noted the 24-hour ER currently operates with just one physician on duty at a time, making it vulnerable to minor staffing disruptions.
“Larger hospitals near city centres tend to be more attractive to physicians for a variety of reasons. As a small, peripheral community on the edge of the health authority, we rely largely on general practitioners who leave their offices in other areas of practice to staff our emergency department,” Theron explained.
Since last winter’s flood, Mission Memorial’s emergency department has been displaced, operating out of a temporary location elsewhere in the hospital.
“The decision was made to keep us in a temporary space within the hospital for the duration of the project, allowing us to complete the upgrades more quickly rather than disrupt the work with staged construction,” Theron said.
Fraser Health highlighted safety as a key focus in the ER’s redesign, including improved visibility for staff, clearer emergency exit routes and better controlled access throughout the department.
The announcement was welcomed by Mission residents, many of whom have been affected by recent ER closures that forced patient diversions to nearby hospitals in Abbotsford and Langley.
Mission Mayor Paul Horn said: “Last year, we were told by the minister of health that Mission Memorial Hospital is a critical part of the Fraser Valley’s health-care infrastructure and has an important future. This investment reinforces that commitment.”
The staffing crisis isn’t unique to Mission. Emergency departments in White Rock, Williams Lake, 100 Mile House, Lillooet, Oliver and Merritt have all faced similar closures amid continuing physician shortages.
Provincial officials are optimistic that the upgraded facility will enhance patient care and help attract and retain doctors needed to serve the region’s growing population.
“As our communities grow, so too do their needs for hospitals and other health-care facilities,” said B.C. Minister of Infrastructure Bowinn Ma. “The expansion of the Mission Memorial Hospital Emergency Department will help ensure people in the Fraser Valley can continue to access high-quality emergency care in their region and supports our ongoing work to modernize health-care facilities.”
The project is currently in the design phase, with construction expected to begin in early 2026 and finish by spring 2027.