For years, residents south of the Fraser River facing a cardiac emergency have contended with the added stress of traveling to distant hospitals, a journey that can feel impossibly long when every second counts. The launch of the first-ever cardiac catheterization lab at Surrey Memorial Hospital marks a pivotal moment in regional healthcare, promising to eliminate this daunting travel burden for a rapidly expanding population. This state-of-the-art facility is poised to deliver critical, life-saving interventions directly within the community, ensuring that advanced cardiac care is no longer a matter of geography but a readily accessible service. The initiative represents a significant enhancement of the local health system, addressing a long-standing gap in specialized medical services and providing peace of mind to hundreds of thousands of residents who can now receive top-tier treatment close to home. This development is not just about new equipment; it’s a fundamental shift in how emergency and specialized care is delivered in the region.
A New Era for Localized Cardiac Care
At a press conference on December 5, 2025, Premier David Eby officially announced that the new cardiac catheterization suites would commence operations on December 8, 2025, a date that signifies a major leap forward for patient care in the Fraser Health region. This opening directly addresses a critical need, as patients requiring procedures like diagnostic angiography or angioplasty previously had no choice but to travel to Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster or other facilities in Vancouver. Premier Eby emphasized that the project fulfills a crucial promise to the community, ensuring Surrey residents can receive sophisticated medical attention “close to home” without the strain of long waits or travel during moments of acute vulnerability. The strategic placement of this unit within Surrey Memorial Hospital is expected to dramatically reduce treatment times for heart attack patients, a factor that is directly linked to better survival rates and long-term health outcomes for individuals experiencing a cardiac event.
The clinical importance of this local expansion was underscored by Dr. Dwayne Conway, the head of interventional cardiology at the hospital. He stressed that “timely access to this type of care can make a considerable difference to outcomes,” highlighting how immediate intervention can prevent irreversible heart muscle damage. For patients and their families, the availability of a local cath lab alleviates a significant source of anxiety and logistical difficulty. The new facility is more than just a convenience; it is a life-saving resource that strengthens the region’s emergency response capabilities. The center is designed to handle a high volume of cases, reflecting the growing healthcare demands of Surrey and its neighboring communities. This proactive approach ensures that the local infrastructure can keep pace with population growth, providing a robust and resilient healthcare system for the future and instilling confidence in the community’s medical services.
Advanced Medical Technology and Teamwork
The new suites are equipped with cutting-edge technology designed for minimally invasive procedures that revolutionize patient treatment and recovery. Interventional cardiology, for instance, utilizes small, flexible tubes called catheters, which are guided through blood vessels to diagnose and repair heart conditions without the need for open-heart surgery. This approach leads to smaller incisions, less pain, and significantly faster recovery times for patients. Complementing the cardiac services, the two new interventional radiology suites, set to open on January 8, 2026, will offer similar benefits for a wide range of other internal conditions. Using advanced imaging techniques, specialists can perform targeted treatments, including for certain types of cancer, by navigating instruments through the body’s vascular network. This integration of advanced diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities under one roof provides a comprehensive and modern approach to patient care, solidifying Surrey Memorial Hospital’s position as a leading medical center.
Behind the sophisticated technology is a dedicated and highly coordinated team of medical professionals. Dr. Conway likened his staff to a finely tuned orchestra, poised to “make really sweet music” for the community by delivering exceptional care. This sentiment of teamwork and patient-focused service was echoed by Fraser Health CEO Dermot Kelly, who noted that the facility is fundamentally about providing “care, compassion and confidence” to people on the most difficult days of their lives. His comments reflect a deep commitment to a patient-centered model, where the human impact of medical intervention is just as important as the clinical procedure itself. The extensive collaboration required to bring this complex project to fruition—involving planners, engineers, clinicians, and administrative staff—demonstrates a shared vision for elevating the standard of healthcare available to the residents of the Fraser Health region.
A Milestone in Regional Healthcare Development
The opening of the new cardiac center at Surrey Memorial Hospital marked a transformative achievement in the region’s healthcare landscape. This development was the culmination of extensive planning and advocacy, directly addressing a critical service gap that had long affected one of British Columbia’s most populous and rapidly growing areas. The facility’s launch represented a tangible fulfillment of a commitment to provide equitable access to life-saving medical care, ensuring that a patient’s postal code no longer determined their proximity to essential cardiac interventions. It stood as a powerful response to the evolving needs of the community, delivering on the promise of a more resilient and responsive local health system. The successful integration of these advanced suites into the hospital’s existing infrastructure was seen not just as an upgrade, but as a fundamental redefinition of what was possible for patient care south of the Fraser River, setting a new benchmark for medical services in the province.
