An $18 million renovation project has been approved for Mission Memorial Hospital, Fraser Health announced on Thursday (May 15).
According to a news release, the expanded emergency department will be 35 per cent larger, increasing care spaces by 17 to 41.
Other enhancements include a resuscitation room with a dedicated anteroom to treat patients needing quick interventions like cardiac arrest.
“It will also include an airborne isolation room that will provide immediate and specialized care for patients at risk of spreading airborne infections,” the news release reads.
The new layout will focus on clear lines of sight, quick and clear exit paths in case of an emergency, and controlled access to and throughout the department, Fraser Health says.
The health authority also announced the completion of repairs after burst pipes caused the emergency department to flood in January 2024.
Fraser Health said the department required major remediation, which provided an opportunity to examine the existing space and consider how the department could be improved in the long term.
Mission Memorial Hospital site medical director Dr. Paul Theron said the team at the hospital have been waiting with bated breath for quite a few months.
"We're very happy that the funding for the project was finally approved and the scope of the project as we envisioned it – benefiting the site in the community – was eventually approved as well," Theron said.
Theron says the upgrades will allow the hospital to "future-proof" itself as it adapts to Mission's growth.
"I think it's going to be a valuable upgrade to the site as we try and contemporize the treatment spaces in the ED – reach more contemporary standards in terms of patient privacy, the amount of treatment spaces as the hospitals growing to hopefully treat more patients in the ED for 24 hours," he said.
With the planning for the project complete, Fraser Health says construction is expected to begin in early 2026 and be completed by spring 2027.
In the meantime, the hospital will continue to operate its emergency department in the temporary space in its former ambulatory care unit.
"[The space] has allowed us to maintain pretty close to normal function for the ER in spite of space constraints and our team that's been, well, all I can say is fantastic – stepping up to the challenge, working in far less than optimal circumstances," Theron said.
Mission Memorial Hospital has been dealing with physician staffing challenges since last summer, closing the emergency department three times in 2025 and six times in summer 2024.
Theron says it's hard to assign the staffing challenges to one individual factor, but he said the the temporary space could potentially play into it.
"The staffing issues across multiple professions in healthcare across the province are pervasive. They're not limited to our site. Many sites within the Health Authority have different levels of staffing challenges for a multitude of factors," Theron said.
He added: "Ultimately, the project ... will benefit us when it comes to recruitment, hopefully over the next year or two in being able to recruit more physicians back into the hospital."
B.C. health minister Josie Osborne said in the release that the “project will help ensure that the hospital can keep pace with the community’s growing population and provide quality care now and into the future.”
Dr. Lynn Stevenson, Fraser Health interim president and CEO, said the investment marks a major milestone for emergency care in Mission.
“The expanded and modernized Emergency Department will not only enhance the care experience for patients and families, but also create a safer, more efficient work environment for staff and physicians,” Stevenson said. “We hope this revitalization will also attract new emergency physicians who are excited to be part of a growing, vibrant community.”
Mission Mayor Paul Horn credited collaboration and the advocacy of council, former MLAs Pam Alexis and Bob D'Eith, local First Nations, and other municipalities on the North Shore.
“Last year, we were told by the Minister of Health that Mission Memorial Hospital was considered a critical part of the Fraser Valley’s health care infrastructure, and that it had an important future,” Mission Mayor Paul Horn said in the release. “This investment reinforces the commitment by Fraser Health and the Ministry of Health in ensuring a robust Mission Memorial Hospital. We look forward to more opportunities to see improvements in and around the hospital campus.”
