BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre Programs

BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre is the only facility in BC devoted exclusively to the health of women, newborns, and families.

Women's provincial program provides health services to improve the health of aboriginal women. Outreach services include Pap smear clinics, assistance with and participation in the planning of regional aboriginal women's conferences, health promotion activities, culturally-sensitive resource materials, and facilitation of women's groups to develop health programs in their communities.

Our on-site patient advocates work with women, children, and families to ensure they receive the information and support they need. Our nurse clinician organizes an annual training session on well women's issues for community workers and nurses who work with aboriginal women.

Women's provides education, diagnostic screening, treatment, and advocacy for women with disabilities. Few doctors' offices contain the equipment necessary to provide these services. Testing is conducted in a safe and respectful manner.

In partnership with Providence Health Care, The Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, and SUCCESS (United Chinese Community Enrichment Society), Women's provides cervical and breast cancer screening services for women of Asian origin and women's wellness education for the Asian population. This program is currently housed at Mount St. Joseph's Hospital.

Women's provides a Triage/Assessment room, Labour and Delivery rooms for low-risk births, Single-Room Maternity Care, birthing areas for women with high-risk pregnancies or birthing complications, and a surgical program for births by caesarean section.

Women's Maternal Transport Team assists in the preparation and safe transfer of high-risk patients to Women's and also assists with their treatment closer to home.

Developed in partnership with the BC Cancer Agency, Women's Breast Assessment and Diagnostic Partnership Program provides rapid, expert assessment and diagnostic services for women with abnormal mammograms or breast symptoms.

In partnership with the Screening Mammography Program of British Columbia, Women's offers quick, precise screening for the presence of breast abnormalities. Women are provided with the knowledge to make informed decisions about their breast health.

Breast Health initiatives include the Chinese language breast health education project and a breast health fellowship for family physicians to aid in the early screening and diagnosis of breast disease.

Related Article: Digital Mammography coming to BC Women's

Related Video: Dr. Paula Gordon explains what a radiologist looks for in a mammogram

Women's Comprehensive Abortion and Reproductive Education Program provides services for women experiencing an unwanted pregnancy, including decision-making counselling, contraceptive education, pre- and post-abortion counselling, appropriate reproductive health screening, and abortion procedures. CARE also coordinates health services for families in which a diagnosis of fetal abnormality has led to a decision to terminate a pregnancy.

Our Pregnancy Options Referral Service is a toll-free, province-wide telephone service for counselling, information, and referrals.

Women's houses one of only five Canadian centres of excellence for women's health. The mandate of the BC Centre of Excellence is to: generate knowledge of the determinants of health and to disseminate this knowledge by defining the health status of women, publicizing research, building and strengthening local and national health networks, and analyzing and advising on health policy. Research informs the policies, treatments, and programs at Women's.

Our physiotherapists treat women with urinary and/or fecal incontinence with non-surgical techniques such as exercise and biofeedback. We offer bimonthly educational workshops and an outreach program to educate and support other BC health care professionals in the treatment of women with incontinence.

Women's Centre for Prenatal Diagnosis and Treatment provides diagnostic ultrasound, fetal assessment and treatment, and prenatal procedures.

Women's ambulatory services include: Diabetes Service, high-risk nutrition counselling, Perinatology, Breastfeeding support, Anaesthesia consultation, Special Client Clinic, and physiotherapy services. We offer specialized medical consultation services for both antepartum and postpartum women.

Women's provides maternity care for women whose family physicians do not attend births as well as women in special clinical settings such as the Sheway outreach program for substance-using mothers.

Women's provides the only unit in Canada (and only the second in the world) for pregnant women dealing with substance misuse. Detoxification and harm reduction techniques give their babies a chance at a healthy start in life while we teach these mothers how to care for their infants.

Women's offers specialized care for women throughout BC whose pregnancies are at risk of adverse outcome. Services include: fetal surveillance and treatment; management of obstetrical, medical, and surgical complications of pregnancy; harm reduction for women with substance abuse; and support for women with disabilities.

Antepartum Home Care allows local women with specific pregnancy complications to remain at home with assessment, care, and teaching provided by our visiting nurses.

Our postpartum services support women and their newborns, utilizing a family-centered approach, through all phases of in-hospital postpartum care. Healthy infants are cared for in the same room as their mothers, with the emphasis on baby-care education and feeding support. Most women go home after one or two days with follow-up care and support from the Vancouver/Richmond Health Board "Healthy Beginning Program."

Women's provides consultative genetic health care services to BC families. Services include: evaluation and diagnosis of congenital anomalies and genetic diseases in fetuses, children, and adults; genetic counselling regarding recurrence risks, prognosis, and recent advances in testing and management; and education and support of families and health professionals.

Women's provides midwifery services as well as mentoring and training for midwives.

Women's Intensive Care Nursery provides all levels of intensive care for premature babies and babies with serious medical problems. In close partnership with our High-risk Antepartum Program and BC Children's Hospital. Women's operates British Columbia's major neonatal intensive care program.

Women's provides a full continuum of HIV/AIDS care for women and families in an ambulatory setting. Referrals and access to tertiary care inpatient beds is arranged when medically indicated. The multidisciplinary team at Oak Tree includes: specialists in adult and pediatric infectious diseases, gynecology, and family practice; pharmacists; dietitians; nurses; and social workers. Training opportunities are available for physicians, medical residents, and health professionals.

In partnership with other community agencies, Women's provides outreach workers to connect with HIV-infected women and their families and to assist these families in accessing medical and support services in their own communities and at Oak Tree Clinic.

Women's helps women and men across BC to identify their risk of developing osteoporosis and determine lifestyle changes and appropriate medical therapies.

Community services include educational materials in Chinese; Osteo Fair, an annual event with information, aids, and fashions for people with osteoporosis; and an internationally acclaimed community-based exercise program called Osteofit.

Women's treats complex reproductive problems such as infertility (in our Infertility and Special Needs Gynecology Program), early menopause, and menstrual irregularities. Our Pregnancy Loss Clinichelps many women carry and deliver healthy babies after multiple miscarriages. Services include diagnostic hysteroscopy, pelvic ultrasound services, and emotional support services.

Women's delivers comprehensive care to survivors of sexual assault, including sensitive medical care, forensic evidence collection, and emotional support. This program operates in partnership with the emergency department at Vancouver General Hospital and is the major provincial resource for policy and program development in the area of sexual assault services.

Women's promotes and supports the health care and safety needs of women experiencing abuse through program development, staff training and education, and research and resource materials related to health care practices involving the abuse of women.

Overall strategic plans for research at Women's, as well as specific plans for each program are in development. An inventory of research activities, an online evaluation system for clinical programs, and the creation of a network of investigators, research areas, and research activities are part of this initiative.

Women's supports programs for young people (ages 12 - 19) throughout Children's and Women's which include clinical services, research, health promotion, education, training, and advocacy. Many programs provide tertiary care for youth with developmental, physical, mental, and reproductive health concerns.