Construction is complete on Phase 1 of the $38 million emergency department expansion project at Eagle Ridge Hospital in B.C. The hospital serves Port Moody, Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam, Anmore and Belcarra.
“When Eagle Ridge Hospital opened in 1984, the hospital’s emergency department had about 20,000 patients seeking emergency care every year. That number has more than doubled to 50,000 patients per year,” said Minister of Health Adrian Dix. “As the Tri-Cities continue to grow, a larger emergency department is needed to keep pace with the increasing demand for emergency services in the region. Our government recognized this and moved quickly so people can get the care they need when they need it.”
The first phase includes 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.
Once finished, the expanded emergency department will have 39 new treatment spaces, up from 19. It will include four new isolation rooms for people with infectious illnesses and two new trauma resuscitation bays. Walk-in patients and ambulances will have separate entrances, a decontamination area will help with chemical contamination and additional handwashing stations will help reduce the risk of infection.
The new space is approximately three times larger, increasing from 714 square metres to 2,206 square metres.
To expand the emergency department, health records were moved to the basement of the hospital, and diagnostic cardiology services have expanded into some of the existing health records area. Community outpatient services have been relocated to another part of the hospital, and rehabilitation services have moved to the existing community outpatient services area.
The project includes work from Phase 2 that began in August 2021. Further Phase 2 renovations for future rehabilitation space are expected to begin in October 2021 with completion in March 2022.
