Future Proof: A New Health Care Landscape in Langley
As Langley’s premiere advocate for health care, Langley Community Health & Hospital Foundation (LCHHF) is on the verge of reshaping the health care landscape.
The hospital that stands today as Langley Memorial was built in the 1960s for a population of 20,000 residents. Today, medical staff provide care for a growing community with projections showing the population will reach 240,000 within the next five years.
Over the last year, donors have committed $2.25 million to support the addition of equipment across the hospital and $400,000 to community health services, including Foundry Langley and Langley Meals on Wheels.
However, the Foundation’s emerging role as a health care advocate is reflected in the expansion of health care in every corner of the community.
In the Community: Serving Children and Youth
It’s reflected in Foundry Langley, where Encompass Support Services Society expanded its counselling and psychiatric outreach to more youth aged 12 to 24, by hiring the first youth psychiatrist that Langley has seen in a decade.
It’s seen in the recent campaign to support the Child and Youth Advocacy Centre set to address the sobering realities of child abuse and exposure to violence with safe intervention and police, victim services, forensic nursing and counselling. The centre, built in 2025, will enable children to share their story once, with professionals disseminating that information across relevant agencies.
Residential Care for our Frail Seniors
LCHHF is eager for the provincial government to confirm its most significant project yet: a new 300-bed long-term care residence on the hospital campus.
The new residence would represent a stark departure from old models of long-term care. In neighbourhoods of 12 to 13 residents, this new model will emphasize privacy, safety, community activities, and stress the dignity of every individual, each with their own distinct needs.
Beyond serving the needs of Langley’s families, the new residence will help to ease a shortfall of 8,000 long-term care beds and long wait lists.
The Foundation’s evolving role as a partner and advocate will allow us to consult with the provincial government to drive our vision to build state-of-the-art operating rooms, renovate and expand the day surgical unit and construct a new south tower to expand the hospital.
Sights Set on a New South Tower
Currently, Langley Memorial provides 1.2 beds per 1,000 residents, compared to a national average of 2.5 beds per 1,000 and Vancouver Coastal Health’s average of three beds per 1,000 residents.
The community needs the infrastructure to support this growth, so we are advocating to the government to commit to an election promise that includes building new state-of-the-art operating rooms to replace facilities that, while housing Fraser Health’s finest surgical team, were built in the 1960s and are now too small and outdated for modern procedures.
The plan encompasses renovating and expanding the day surgical unit and Ambulatory Day Care, as well as constructing the new south tower, which will fundamentally transform the hospital’s capacity.
“Our donors understand that giving to health care is an investment in the very fabric of our community,” says Heather Scott, LCHHF Executive Director.
“With your support, we’re not just adding beds or expanding buildings. We’re ensuring that when a child needs help, when a senior deserves dignity, or when a family faces a medical crisis, Langley will be ready to make our vision of compassionate, comprehensive care a living reality.”