People have access to better emergency care with the completion of the emergency department expansion at Eagle Ridge Hospital, which serves Port Moody, Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam, Anmore and Belcarra.

“People will receive the health care they need in modern surroundings, and medical staff will have more room to help patients get better, quicker,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “The expanded emergency department at Eagle Ridge Hospital will meet the needs of the growing Tri-Cities population.”

Phase 1 of the Eagle Ridge Hospital emergency department expansion included new separate entrances for walk-in patients and ambulances, a redesigned registration and triage area to improve privacy and flow of patients, and a designated separate area for patients with mental-health and substance-use support needs. The new emergency department opened on Sept. 21, 2021.

Phase 2 of the project featured upgrades and renovations to the old emergency department. This includes a designated area for decontamination of hazardous materials to help prevent the spread of contaminants, complete with a decontamination suite with airlock features and a separate entrance for improved safety; four new isolation rooms for people with infectious illnesses; two new resuscitation areas to increase care spaces for trauma patients; and additional handwashing stations to help reduce the risk of infection.

The provincial government, through Fraser Health, provided $32.5 million and the Eagle Ridge Hospital Foundation contributed $5 million for a project cost of $37.5 million.

“This is a big day for people in the area and I’m proud of our government’s commitment to improve public health-care services in Port Moody,” said Rick Glumac, MLA for Port Moody-Coquitlam.

When Eagle Ridge Hospital opened in 1984, the hospital’s emergency department had approximately 20,000 patients seeking emergency care every year. That number has more than doubled to approximately 50,000 patients per year.

The expanded emergency department has 39 new treatment spaces, up from 19. The new space is approximately three times larger, increasing from 714 square metres (7,685 square feet) to 2,206 square metres (23,745 square feet) and allows for quality emergency care in spaces better designed to meet the growing needs of patients in the Tri-Cities.

A backgrounder follows.