SFU and Surrey Hospitals Foundation announce new partnership<\/p>\n
Published 9:00 am Friday, May 15, 2026<\/p>\n
There was a strong sense of hope for the future of health care in Surrey when the Surrey Hospitals Foundation and Simon Fraser University (SFU) announced an official partnership on Thursday, May 14.<\/p>\n
The collaboration includes an initial $15-million commitment to support health research and innovation in Surrey.<\/p>\n
Nicole Robson, president and CEO of Surrey Hospitals Foundation, said, \u201cThis partnership reflects a shared commitment to building a stronger, more connected health system in Surrey. By bringing philanthropy alongside research and innovation, we are supporting an ecosystem where discovery is embedded directly in care. Aligning academic expertise with clinical priorities and community investment allows us to accelerate innovation and ultimately improve health outcomes for people across our region.\u201d<\/p>\n
Community leaders, health-care workers, SFU and Surrey Hospital Foundation administration, and politicians gathered at SFU Surrey on Thursday morning for the announcement, which provided opportunities for people to network and talk about the future of health care in Surrey.<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for the foundation said, \u201cThere was a strong sense throughout the room that this partnership represents something much larger than a single announcement. It reflects the growth of a connected ecosystem bringing together health care, academia, philanthropy, and community leadership in a way that could meaningfully shape the future of care and innovation across the region.\u201d<\/p>\n
SFU and the foundation will work together to establish the fund, with the initial $15 million investment. \u201cThis long-term investment will help ensure clinicians, researchers, and students have sustained support to innovate, collaborate, and advance care for patients and families across Surrey and the South Fraser region,\u201d said a Surrey Hospitals Foundation news release Thursday (May 14).<\/p>\n
Erin Morantz, vice-president, advancement and alumni engagement, Simon Fraser University, said, \u201cThis new partnership with Surrey Hospitals Foundation creates exciting opportunities to raise funds to support hospital-based researchers and research infrastructure to the benefit of students, researchers, clinicians and, ultimately, patients, enhancing the health-care system in Surrey and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n
This is especially vital as Surrey continues to grow and the demand for health-care rises. Surrey Memorial Hospital saw over 180,000 emergency department visits last year, which was the highest in B.C., according to the foundation.<\/p>\n
Investing in the future of health care in Surrey and the new Surrey Hospital & BC Cancer Centre, which is set to open in 2030, will ensure that health care \u201cmeets the needs of the growing population.\u201d<\/p>\n
This partnership comes as SFU prepares to welcome its inaugural class of medical students in August. This is the first medical school in Western Canada to open in nearly 60 years.<\/p>\n
Dugan O\u2019Neil, vice-president, research and innovation, said, \u201cAt SFU, we care deeply about the health of the communities we serve. \u201cThis partnership connects our researchers directly with the people delivering care in Surrey and at our new School of Medicine\u2014so together, we can help turn new ideas into better outcomes for patients across the province.\u201d<\/p>\n