White Rock, B.C. – Peace Arch Hospital + Community Health Foundation (PAHCHF) is proud to support initiatives that aim to improve patient care and hospital practices within the community.

Orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Arno Smit, who has practiced in White Rock since 1999, has seen firsthand how the Foundation helps move innovative concepts from idea to implementation. “PAHCHF is always looking ahead, supporting projects that might not otherwise move forward,” says Dr. Smit.

In 2016, the Foundation provided funding to Dr. Smit to explore reducing hospital stays for total knee replacements (TKR) patients. Traditionally, TKR patients stay in hospital for 3-5 days, but Dr. Smit wanted to test just a 24-hour recovery window in hospital. With an initial $20,000 investment, the Foundation enabled research that demonstrated promising outcomes, including reduced complications and infections, as well as improved patient comfort through earlier discharge home.

Following these results, the Foundation provided an additional $100,000 in 2018 to further evaluate the approach, testing it on 10 TKR patients. This work contributed to the adoption of same-day discharge for select TKR patients and was published in many industry publications.

Today, same-day discharge for total knee and hip replacement patients is standard practice at Peace Arch Hospital, implemented in August 2025 under the leadership of Dr. Vic Bubbar.

“The Foundation plays an important role in our community, and its early funding helped move this work forward sooner,” says Dr. Smit. “The Foundation’s leadership helps facilitate evolution in the medical field and in our community, and I’m grateful to have been part of that progress.”

This progress reflects the Foundation’s commitment to supporting innovation that enhances patient care and strengthens our healthcare system. By investing in new ideas and collaborating with clinical teams, PAHCHF helps ensure that advancements can be tested, refined, and ultimately integrated into everyday care.

“It’s impressive to see how preliminary research supported by the Foundation helped establish successful same‑day discharge for hip and knee replacements at Peace Arch Hospital and the White Rock Orthopaedic Surgery Centre. We’re very proud to have played a role in those early stages” – Stephanie Beck, CEO, PAHCHF