Mission Memorial Hospital. (Image Credit: Image: UBC )

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Public board meeting

Fraser Health to hold board meeting in Mission, after challenging year that saw 6 ER closures at local hospital

Jan 26, 2026 | 10:04 AM

MISSION – Fraser Health will hold a public board meeting next month in Mission, following a challenging year that saw six overnight closures of the emergency room at Mission Memorial Hospital.

The Fraser Health Authority board of directors is set to meet on Thursday, February 12 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Best Western Plus Mission City Lodge, 32281 Lougheed Highway. Parking is free.

Fraser Health shuttered the Mission Memorial Hospital emergency room on six occasions in 2025. On top of that, its emergency department operated on a limited basis from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Dec. 29 to Jan. 6 to reflect what it said were “systemic pressures being experienced across Canada.”

Mission Memorial Hospital site medical director Dr. Paul Theron has previously said the hospital is working with the provincial Ministry of Health “to stabilize longer-term staffing.”

Opreet Kang, interim chair of the Fraser Health board, wrote a letter to Mission City Council dated January 14, 2025, thanking the City of Mission for their continued partnership, particularly in recent weeks when FHA temporarily adjusted the hours of operation in the ER at Mission Memorial Hospital.

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“I would like to suggest that members of our hospital leadership team meet with you and Council to share work currently underway, including improvements to the emergency department and strategies to address staffing challenges,” Kang wrote in her letter. “You will also hear our commitment to providing safe and reliable health services for the Mission community. We appreciate your continued collaboration and look forward to advancing this work together.”

The meeting on February 12 will feature a Fraser Health-led presentation on health services in the Mission community, followed by an opportunity for members of the public to ask questions directly of the FHA board.

Mission Councillor Jag Gill submitted a motion ahead of the last council meeting on Monday, January 19, asking that Fraser Health and Ministry of Health senior staff attend an upcoming council meeting to present on the current challenges resulting in Mission Memorial Hospital Emergency Room closures. He asked that discussion occur around physician shortages affecting access to primary and acute care, long term planning for Mission Memorial Hospital and the challenges of providing health care services in general in an area like Mission that is experiencing high growth, and measures that are being taken to mitigate these challenges.

There has been some good news in recent weeks as it pertains to healthcare in Mission. Mission Memorial Hospital has now received a new piece of equipment to help patients unable to move from their bed – the second hospital in B.C. to acquire one.

The Fraser Valley Health Care Foundation (FVHCF) has led a joint initiative to acquire an ALTA Platform for the Mission hospital.

“Rural facilities face immense and growing challenges. With the ALTA we hope to play our part in providing sustainability by empowering front-line staff while creating efficiency and providing enhanced overall experience for patients,” said Jayiesh Singh, CEO of Able Innovations.

Image: Group Photo of Mission Health Care Auxiliary, FVHCF Foundation board and staff, Fraser Health staff and Able Innovations staff pose with the ALTA. (Image Credit: FVHCF / Provided) (Image Credit: Image: Fraser Valley Health Care Foundation)

The robotic patient transfer device uses A.I. to assist with moving a patient between platforms, such as beds, imaging tables or stretchers.