Image: City of Mission / After Mission Memorial Hospital closed its emergency department for a portion of the weekend for the third time this month due to a lack of ER physicians, the City of Mission has responded with a statement of concern.

By Mike Vanden Bosch

City of Mission

Update: Mission Mayor clarifies statement after 3rd ER closure at Mission Memorial Hospital in August

Aug 19, 2024 | 9:01 AM

UPDATE MONDAY AT 3:35 P.M.: Mission Mayor Paul Horn has clarified portions of his statement that was released through the City of Mission. “Once the temporary service reductions were announced by Fraser Health, Mayor Horn met with MLA Pam Alexis on Friday and connected with MLA Bob D’Eith via phone over the weekend and was assured by them both that physician staffing was a top priority for Mission Memorial Hospital and the rest of the province. This morning, Aug. 19, Mayor Horn met with Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, over Zoom to learn more about what is being done to address the physician shortage. Minister Dix echoed what MLA Alexis and D’Eith shared. Mayor Horn learned about the new financial incentives that are in place to entice doctors to accept shifts in Mission Memorial Hospital and the work being done to schedule doctors from across the region.”

Original story from 9:01 a.m. Monday morning: 

MISSION — After Mission Memorial Hospital closed its emergency department for a portion of the weekend for the third time this month due to a lack of ER physicians, the City of Mission has responded with a statement of concern.

According to a statement from the City of Mission on its website, Mayor Paul Horn expressed consternation over what seems to be a trend throughout the province.

“The City is aware that doctor shortages are affecting the entire province, but we are concerned about the specific impacts on Mission Memorial Hospital,” Mayor Horn said. “We have been informed by Fraser Health that they are trying to incentivize doctors to work these shifts, and that they are doing what they can to share doctors across sites. They are keeping us informed on a regular basis.”

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Mayor Horn cited ongoing renovations in the MMH ER as a possible reason why physicians may not want to work there. Those renovations should be completed over the next 12 months.

“The ER is currently undergoing renovations, so this may also be a factor in attracting and retaining staff. We expect that work to be completed over the next year, and our hope is that a newly refreshed facility will be more attractive to doctors and other medical staff,” Horn said.

Horn said that while the City has met with MLAs as area leaders pursue solutions, they’re ultimately looking to speak directly with Health Minister Adrian Dix to ensure the long-term sustainability of Mission Memorial Hospital.

“We are looking for-long term solutions and have met with MLAs during the past week. We are hoping to meet with Min Dix this coming week,” Horn said. “The Ministry [of Health] and Fraser Health have both indicated that our hospital is a priority. We are advocating for a planning process that will involve doctors and other healthcare professionals, as well as the community, with the aim of inspiring confidence in the long-term sustainability of this facility.”

Mission Memorial’s emergency department was closed for approximately 10 hours this past weekend. Previous service interruptions occurred August 2-3 and August 10-11.

BC United, the official Opposition in the B.C. legislature, says there have been over 215 ER closures in British Columbia this year, including over 70 in July alone.