Residents of BC who have been dealing with chronic diseases will now have a new option for diagnosis and treatment. Vancouver’s BC Women’s hospital has opened a new Complex Chronic Disease Clinic.
The clinic has been taking referrals and triaging the incoming cases since March of this year. Several brochure printers have worked to create pamphlets to help spread the word to the public about the care and treatment they provide. So far, it has received over 650 referrals from doctors from all across the province.
The three conditions upon which center is focusing are fibromyalgia, Lyme’s diseases, and chronic fatigue syndrome. One of its main goals is to provide a holistic approach that will include treatment by doctors, psychologists, social workers, and physiotherapists, as well as other medical experts.
One of the special features of this clinic will be that patients will be able to access the services of a psychologist, whose role will be to validate their feelings and provide support and teach coping skills. Many of these diseases have a huge emotional impact, so the clinic is aware of the importance of people learning how to deal with them.
Each person coming for help will be assessed, and a treatment plan will be developed to suit their individual needs and concerns. So far, over 100 people have been triaged and 12 have received treatment.
The new clinic can be accessed by using entrance 77 of the hospital, and it is requested that those coming in respect the scent-free policy of the building, developed for anti-allergy reasons.
