Fraser Health advises Mission and surrounding area residents that due to physician staffing challenges at Mission Memorial Hospital Emergency Department, we are implementing temporary service interruptions.
Fraser Health advises Mission and surrounding area residents that due to physician staffing challenges at the Mission Memorial Hospital Emergency Department, we are implementing temporary service interruptions on the following dates:
- June 20 at 5:00 p.m. to June 21 at 8:00 a.m.
- June 23 at 5:00 p.m. to June 24 at 8:00 a.m.
- June 24 at 5:00 p.m. to June 25 at 8:00 a.m.
- June 27 at 5:00 p.m. to June 28 at 8:00 a.m.
- June 28 at 5:00 p.m. to June 29 at 8:00 a.m.
- June 30 at 5:00 p.m. to July 1 at 8:00 a.m.
- July 3 at 5:00 p.m. to July 4 at 8:00 a.m.
- July 4 at 5:00 p.m. to July 5 at 8:00 a.m.
We are pleased to say that there are currently no further vacant physician shifts in July at the Mission Memorial Hospital Emergency Department in addition to those listed above.
The service interruptions will begin at 5:00 p.m. to ensure all patients already in the emergency department can be seen by a physician before they end their shift at 11:00 p.m.
During the service interruptions, emergency-trained nurses will continue to be on site and available to support walk-in patients needing basic care, assist with re-direction of care, and/or transfer patients with urgent needs to a neighbouring hospital.
Fraser Health is working closely with B.C. Emergency Health Services to ensure patients requiring a higher level of care are directed or transferred to an appropriate hospital emergency service.
Anyone with a life-threatening emergency, such as chest pain, difficulty breathing or severe bleeding, should call 9-1-1 immediately and will be transported to the nearest available and appropriate facility.
These service interruptions impact the Emergency Department only. All other services at Mission Memorial Hospital are available.
All other Fraser Health Emergency Departments remain open and have emergency physicians on site; however, high numbers of people seeking care and human resources challenges at many of our hospital emergency departments may lead to longer wait times for patients with non-urgent care concerns.
To help ensure Emergency Departments are available for people who need emergency health care, we encourage people with non-urgent health needs to know their non-emergency care options:
- Call Fraser Health Virtual Care at 1-800-314-0999 to speak with a registered nurse from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. seven days a week. You can also call 8-1-1 outside of those hours to speak with a health service navigator or a registered nurse.
- Visit the Mission Urgent and Primary Care Centre from 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. daily, including statutory holidays. At the centre, you can receive care for urgent, non-life-threatening conditions, such as fever, minor cuts that may need stitches, burns, headaches or earaches, and sprains, but do not require emergency department services.
- Call the Fraser Health Crisis Line 24/7 at 1-877-820-7444.
We recognize how important consistent access to emergency care is for the Mission community and we are actively working to address physician staffing gaps as they arise to maintain service continuity. We are continuing to make every effort to recruit more staff and prevent further service interruptions. Should further service interruptions become necessary, we will communicate this to the community in advance to support our patients and their families in feeling informed and prepared.
We appreciate your patience and support and thank our staff, medical staff and B.C. Emergency Health Services staff for their commitment to providing quality care.
About Fraser Health:
We recognize that Fraser Health provides care on the traditional, ancestral and unceded lands of the Coast Salish and Nlaka’pamux Nations and is home to 32 First Nations within the Fraser Salish region.
Fraser Health is dedicated to serving all Indigenous peoples and honours the unique cultures of the First Nations, Métis and Inuit living within the Fraser Salish region.
Our hospital and community-based services are delivered by a team of more than 50,000 staff, medical staff and volunteers dedicated to serving our patients, families and communities.
