The department takes up 52,000 square feet, making it the same size as three NHL hockey rinks. It contains 100 single patient rooms – as opposed to four previously - with separate areas for walk-in patients, triage, critical care, less-critical care and mental health and substance abuse.
It is now capable of housing six ambulances and it is expected that staff at the department will be able to perform 70,000 medical imaging tests annually. The hospital will also have a pediatric emergency room for treating critically ill children; it is only the second such department in the province.
The new facility is thought to have cost $512 million to build; $492 million was donated by the province of British Columbia and the other $20 million was raised by the Surrey Memorial Hospital Foundation and Child Health BC.
In order to raise funds for this new department, the Surrey Memorial Hospital Foundation held a number of fundraisers, such as the Friends of Ferrari event. Local printing companies could have been called upon to boost awareness.
Surrey Memorial Hospital is one of the busiest in BC and the city is one of the fastest growing areas in the province. Jane Adams, CEO of the hospital, stated:
"Surrey and the region now have an emergency department designed to meet the needs of our growing population."
The ER department is located on the first floor of the new Critical Care Tower. It will be open fully by June of 2014.