Peace Arch Hospital ER announces it will be open over long weekend after all

The Peace Arch Hospital’s Emergency Department will be open all long weekend after all.

Shortly after announcing a temporary closure over the long weekend, Fraser Health put out a statement saying all emergency physician shifts have now been filled, keeping the facility open.

“We work to fill vacant shifts until the very last moment,” Fraser Health said in a news release.

“Service adaptations and patient diversions are only used as a last resort when all other options have been exhausted. We want to assure the community that we are supporting our emergency physicians by addressing physician staffing challenges. We are working on sustainment plans to prevent any service adaptations to ensure continuous, safe and timely care for White Rock residents and the surrounding area.”

Earlier Thursday evening, the Peace Arch Hospital Foundation had announced on social media that the hospital’s ER would be closed between 4 a.m. Friday and 7 a.m. Saturday due to staffing shortages, with patients being diverted to other hospitals.

“During a period of diversion, Peace Arch Hospital will not be able to accept new patients at our Emergency Department, and patients seeking these services will be redirected to other facilities,” the foundation said.

“Fraser Health and the Ministry of Health have assured us that this diversion and any others will be temporary and controlled, until adequate physician coverage is restored. We are closely monitoring the situation and hope to resume normal operations as soon as it is safe and feasible.”

The PAH says it is working with Fraser Health and the provincial government to mitigate staffing challenges, including working to support recruitment of new doctors.

“We are optimistic that these efforts will yield long-term benefits,” PAH said.

“While Peace Arch Hospital navigates the immediate challenges, we are dedicated to finding solutions that will support our hospital’s future.”

Editor’s note: a previous version of this story stated the closure was initially announced Friday evening. This has been changed to Thursday to correct the error.