Excitement is building at Surrey Memorial Hospital as construction progresses on priority projects that will enhance the care we provide to the Surrey community.
Behind the hustle and bustle of construction activity underway at Surrey Memorial Hospital is a purpose-driven team of passionate staff and medical staff collaborating to create a hospital environment that not only meets the growing demand for health services in the Surrey community but also enhances the patient experience through thoughtful design and advanced technology.
As part of the 30 priority actions underway at the hospital, these projects are paving a future that provides increased access to life-saving care and healing spaces that bring comfort to patients and their families.
A key priority project is the construction of new on-site cardiac catheterization suites.
“It’s not uncommon for a care team to join patients in their transfer to a different hospital already equipped with a cath lab,” said Courtney Jijac, manager, Cardiac Catheterization Lab. “Having an on-site cath lab gives way to a more efficient use of resources and faster access to life-saving care.”
The teams are excited about this prospect, too.
“On-site cath labs are exciting for anyone working in cardiac care because our motto is, ‘time is muscle’ and the faster a patient who is having a heart attack can get to a cath lab, the better the outcome both short and long-term.”
This unit is transforming into a cutting-edge hub for advanced cardiac care. New interventional radiology suites will be added to carry out minimally-invasive procedures like thrombectomy, which used to require a significant operation and longer recovery time.
The suites enable health care providers to diagnose and treat heart disease on-site, minimizing the need for patient transfers and speeding up access to life-saving treatments for heart attacks.
Just outside the Critical Care Tower at Surrey Memorial Hospital, the concrete foundation has been laid for the new stand-alone renal unit – a first in Fraser Health. When complete, the new unit will support 55 per cent more patients – providing quicker access to this crucial service.
Dialysis patients spend an average of four hours in the unit to receive care. Sometimes up to three days a week. Thoughtfully designed features in the new unit, such as large windows to invite natural light will improve this experience for patients by creating a calmer more natural environment. Also included in the new unit is an audio system tailored for music therapy.
“The new unit is designed with patient wellness and evoking calm in mind,” shares Stephanie Yun, manager of the renal program and member of the design and planning team.
"This centre is more importantly about people – the patients and their families who can now receive care closer to home, and about our health care providers, who make a tremendous difference in the lives of our patients and their families, day in and day out," said Stephanie Yun, manager of the Renal Program.
Surrey Memorial Hospital will soon introduce a mobile MRI while two advanced MRI scanners are installed, upgrading the existing one and adding a new scanner. These new scanners can detect cancers in the breast, brain, abdomen, prostate, and lymph nodes, as well as cardiac and neurological diseases, and feature noise-reducing technology for a more comfortable patient experience. The transformation underway at Surrey Memorial Hospital is about more than just infrastructure—it’s about people: the patients who will receive faster access to the care they need and our health care teams who will have the resources to make an even greater impact.
"I've witnessed incredible teams of dedicated staff working tirelessly behind the scenes to shape the future of health services for our community," said Rich Dillon, executive director of Surrey Memorial Hospital, Regional Emergency Network, and Neurosciences Network. "As we look ahead to 2025, the fruits of their hard work are coming to life in inspiring ways. I am thrilled to continue our journey of transforming health services at the hospital and across Surrey.
The initiatives underway at Surrey Memorial Hospital are part of the 30 priority actions make up only one aspect of a regional strategy to enhance health care in Surrey. The broader regional strategy also includes a new medical school at Simon Fraser University, a new hospital and BC Cancer Centre in Cloverdale and expanded community-based services.
For a look into the behind-the-scenes work happening, check out our video here:
If you have any questions regarding the construction activities underway, please email: SMHPriorityInitiatives@fraserhealth.ca
Learn more about how we are transforming care in Surrey: www.fraserhealth.ca/capital-projects/projects/Surrey
