White Rock, B.C. – At Peace Arch Hospital, patients preparing for joint replacement surgery are now benefiting from an innovative, patient-centered approach that helps them recover faster. We’re proud to share how this work, led by our exceptional medical teams, is transforming care in our community.

Between January 2022 and July 2023, the Surgical Patient Optimization Collaborative introduced a new program focused on helping patients improve their health before surgery. By supporting simple but powerful changes, patients were helped be set up for better surgical outcomes. Some of these changes included reducing smoking, improving iron levels, screening for sleep apnea, and connecting patients to helpful community resources. The results speak for themselves:

  • Over 82% of smokers reduced or quit
  • Over 72% of patients with low iron improved their hemoglobin levels
  • 63% of high-risk sleep apnea patients began CPAP therapy

Patients also reported feeling better cared for and more prepared for their surgeries, and feeling healthier outside of surgery. Post surgery outcomes also improved dramatically:

  • Infections dropped from 3.1% to 1.1%
  • Readmissions decreased from 4.2% to 2.2%
  • Hospital stays shortened from 3.2 days to 2.9 days

“These results show that preparation before surgery really works,” said Dr. Marshall Cheng, anesthesiologist and project lead. “Patients do better and feel better when they are supported early.”

This work would not have been possible without the outstanding Surgery Pre-Admission Clinic team, who built these supports into everyday care. Today, Peace Arch Hospital continues to use these enhanced processes for joint replacement surgeries and is exploring how to adapt them to more procedures. This program’s success is also now informing work across Fraser Health, including a new digital questionnaire being developed to identify patients who need extra support even earlier.

At Peace Arch Hospital + Community Health Foundation, we are proud to share this incredible advancement in patient care at our hospital. This would not have been possible without the passion of our care teams and the generosity of donors who believe in elevating healthcare close to home. This innovative approach is already transforming surgical experiences at our hospital, and its impact will only continue to grow.