Table 1 Overview of Study Sites: Key equity-relevant features

St. Paul’s Hospital

Vancouver, British Columbia (BC)

Providence Health; affiliated with Vancouver Coastal Health

• Located on un-ceded traditional lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations

• Primary hospital serving people living in the inner-city neighborhood known as the Downtown Eastside (DTES) of Vancouver

• DTES residents experience some of the highest levels of health and social inequities in Canada (e.g., no fixed address, malnutrition, complex medical problems such as HIV)

• Part of a Catholic health care community with a strong history of social justice

• Located in the epicentre of the opioid overdose crisis in Canada; high proportions of patients experience significant substance use issues

• Percentage of people identifying as Indigenous varies, with fewer than 2% in the gentrified areas, and up to 30% in others [35]

Surrey Memorial Hospital

Surrey, British Columbia

Fraser Health

• Located on the lands of the Semiahmoo, Katzie, Kwantlen, Tsawwassen, QayQayt and Kwikwetlem First Nations

• The largest ED in Western Canada, with approximately 140,000 patient visits per year

• Serves the highest concentration of newcomers in BC (43%), including people who immigrated from India (41%), China (15%) and the Philippines (13%) [36]

University Hospital of Northern British Columbia

Prince George, British Columbia

Northern Health

• Located on the traditional territory of the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation

• Level III trauma centre, providing services to people dispersed over an area of 600,000 km² in northern BC

• Advanced referral ED for over 300,000 residents of diverse rural, remote and isolated communities

• 20.1% of population served identifies as Indigenous (Indigenous people comprise 4.9% of the Canadian population overall) [36]