What comes to your mind when you hear the word, ‘physiotherapy’?
For some it’s associated with sports injuries. For others, it’s about relearning how to walk after a surgery. But inside one of B.C.’s busiest and fastest-growing health care environments, physiotherapists are doing far more than most people realise.
“People think, ‘You just help people walk’ No, that’s not all we do.’”
Krista Cunningham, Clinical Practice Lead for Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy Is About More Than Recovery After Injury
At Surrey Memorial Hospital and across Surrey’s ecosystem of care, physiotherapists are helping patients recover from strokes, navigate cardiac and surgical rehabilitation, regain independence after illness, support premature infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and guide patients through some of the most vulnerable moments of their health care journeys.
They are clinicians, educators, mentors and problem-solvers working across every stage of care.
“People think, ‘You just help people walk,’” says Krista Cunningham, Clinical Practice Lead for Physiotherapy in acute care and outpatient rehabilitation across Surrey. “No, that’s not all we do.”
Meet Krista Cunningham and Surrey’s Physiotherapy Team
“The rehab journey does not start or stop within hospital walls.”
Krista began her career at Surrey Memorial Hospital in 2002 as a physiotherapy student before joining the team full-time after graduation. Nearly 24 years later, she still speaks about the hospital and its people with the same admiration she felt walking through its doors for the first time.
“I loved the site and the team right from the beginning,” she says. “This was my first choice after doing a number of placements in the Lower Mainland.”
Over the years, Krista has supported patients in surgical, cardiac, orthopedic, rehabilitation and medical units before stepping into leadership roles focused on mentorship, quality improvement and system-wide clinical practice.
Today, her expertise spans across multiple sites across Surrey. It gives her a unique perspective on the patient journey. From the moment someone enters hospital care to the ongoing rehabilitation and support they need long after discharge.
“The rehab journey does not start or stop within hospital walls,” she says. “It’s the investment in the long-term well-being of the patient.”
Physiotherapy Inside of B.C.’s Busiest Hospitals
Her broader systems perspective has become increasingly important as Surrey continues to grow. Surrey Memorial Hospital is home to the busiest emergency department in British Columbia, serving one of the province’s fastest-growing populations. The pace is demanding, patient needs are increasing, and healthcare teams are constantly adapting to meet growing demand.
Through it all, the dedicated people and teams behind physiotherapy, working alongside nurses, physicians, and other health care professionals, are what make Surrey stand out.
“Because we have to manage things that come at us with the speed that it comes at us, we have a dynamic team, and there is something very satisfying about that.” The team has pushed best practices and applies literature, guidance and intervention despite navigating a diverse and busy environment.
Building a Culture of Mentorship and Innovation in Surrey
“The number one thing that makes Surrey special is the people.”
They have cultivated a strong culture of mentorship and collective responsibility, and this is something Krista believes defines physiotherapy in Surrey. New graduates are supported, experienced clinicians share knowledge openly and the teams continuously invest in education, research and improving patient care.
“The number one thing that makes Surrey special is the people. Despite being quite busy, frontline staff are driving mentorship and education,” Krista explains. “I felt very valued when I started. It was a safe space to be challenged and build my skills.”
That culture has also helped Surrey build a reputation as a leading training and learning environment for physiotherapy students across B.C. Many emerging professionals specifically request placements in Surrey because of the department’s collaborative reputation and exposure to complex and diverse patient care.
Advancing Rehabilitation Through Research and Education
At the same time, physiotherapists across Surrey are helping shape the future of rehabilitation through research, education and innovation. Teams have partnered with academic institutions such as UBC and contributed to culturally informed approaches to care and supported specialized programs ranging from NICU rehabilitation to post-surgical recovery.
For Krista, that constant evolution is part of what makes physiotherapy in public healthcare so meaningful.
“You cannot get bored of physio,” she says with a laugh. “You work with all populations, all ages and across every stage of care. I will be here until I retire.”
Celebrating National Physiotherapy Month in Surrey
“You cannot get bored of physio. You work with all populations, all ages and across every stage of care.”
During National Physiotherapy Month, Surrey Hospitals Foundation is celebrating the physiotherapists helping patients regain movement, independence and quality of life every day across Surrey’s health care system.
Donor support is instrumental in advancing specialized rehabilitation care, research, education and innovation across our hospitals and communities through Surrey Hospitals Foundation’s Pillars of Care, ensuring patients across Surrey have access to exceptional care.
