Peace Arch Hospital

Peace Arch Hospital
Fraser Health

Main entrance for Peace Arch Hospital in White Rock, British Columbia
Location in Metro Vancouver
Geography
Location White Rock, Metro Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Coordinates 49°01′48″N 122°47′37″W / 49.029955°N 122.793632°WCoordinates: 49°01′48″N 122°47′37″W / 49.029955°N 122.793632°W
Organization
Care system Medicare
Hospital type General
Services
Emergency department Yes
Beds 146
History
Founded August 25, 1954
Links
Website Fraser Health

Peace Arch Hospital (PAH) is a 146-bed acute care facility owned and operated by Fraser Health. It offers community hospital services such as:

The charitable fundraising agencies for the hospital include the:

The hospital is located at 15521 Russell Avenue, White Rock, BC, V4B 2R4.

History

Photograph displayed in Peace Arch Hospital of 1951 sodturning

After World War II, Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster began limiting access to residents from the growing suburban communities such as the then-District of Surrey which included the future (established in 1957) City of White Rock.

In 1948, the White Rock Hospital Society formed to fundraise and advocate for government support for creation of a local hospital, while residents of North Surrey and Cloverdale advocated for a hospital in the northern part of the district, which ended up being Surrey Memorial Hospital. The society's fundraising goal was $150,000, one-third of the construction costs as required by the provincial government.[1]

Construction began in 1951 on land donated by a nearby resident. The 45-bed White Rock District Hospital opened on August 25, 1954.[2]

The hospital's name was changed to Peace Arch Hospital. It also eventually was merged into the South Fraser Health Region (SFHR) which also administered health care in Delta, Surrey and Langley. In 2001, PAH came under management of Fraser Health when SFHR was merged with its neighbouring health regions to create a new regional health authority.

PAH's catchment area is White Rock and South Surrey.

In 2009, then Minister of Education Margaret MacDiarmid was rushed to PAH for emergency treatment for what was diagnosed as pneumococcal meningitis.[3] MacDiarmid recovered and later was appointed Minister of Health.

Fraser Health and the Peach Arch Hospital & Community Health Foundation partnered to complete Peace Arch Hospital Master Concept Plan in 2012. It identified four priority projects: a redeveloped and expanded emergency department, new surgical procedure rooms, a new 200-bed residential care building, and the new 15 bed Peace Arch Hospice. In 2013, Health Minister MacDiarmid announced $3 million in government funding to expand the hospice.[4]

As of mid-2014, PAH continues to await for government approval of the expansion of the Emergency Department and residential care services.[1]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Ellen Kennett: A Passionate Pioneer". Thrive magazine (Peace Arch Hospital & Community Health Foundation) (Spring/Summer 2014): 7.
  2. Davis, Chuck (1997). The greater Vancouver book: an urban encyclopaedia. Linkman Press. p. 19. ISBN 1896846009.
  3. Fowlie, Johnathan (Nov 4, 2009). "Margaret MacDiarmid recovers from catastrophic illness". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
  4. Hislop, Markham (March 27, 2013). "Peace Arch Hospice gets $3 million to expand to 15 beds". Surrey Beacon. Retrieved 12 July 2014.