B.C. Women's Hospital & Health Centre
Encyclopedia
BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre, an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority, is a Canadian
hospital
located in Vancouver
, British Columbia
, specializing in women's health
programs. It is the only facility in Western Canada
dedicated to the health of women, newborns and families, and is the largest maternity hospital
in the country. It is also a teaching hospital
and major provincial health care resource, and is a key component in women's health research.
BC Women's employs more than 1,000 full and part-time staff.
. It also provides training for providers across the province.
BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre was founded in 1994 when Grace merged with the Women's Health Centre of the former Shaughnessy Hospital. Under the Provincial Health Services Authority, BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre has a provincial mandate to serve women, babies and their families across B.C. Only 43 percent of patients reside in the Lower Mainland, while 57 per cent of patients live in other areas of B.C. With many specialized women's health services not available anywhere else in the province, BC Women's treats over 68,000 patients each year.
at BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre. They're believed to be the first ever conjoined twins born in British Columbia.
Canada's first set of sextuplets
, four boys and two girls, were born at the hospital on January 6 and 7, 2007. They were in the 25th week of gestation when born, or approximately 3 months premature.
As a Health Centre, BC Women's provides care and treatment to over 19,000 outpatients each year through specialized women's health services including:
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
located in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, specializing in women's health
Women's health
Women's health refers to health issues specific to human female anatomy. These often relate to structures such as female genitalia and breasts or to conditions caused by hormones specific to, or most notable in, females. Women's health issues include menstruation, contraception, maternal health,...
programs. It is the only facility in Western Canada
Western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada that includes the four provinces west of the province of Ontario.- Provinces :...
dedicated to the health of women, newborns and families, and is the largest maternity hospital
Maternity hospital
A maternity hospital is a hospital that specializes in caring for women while they are pregnant and during childbirth. The hospital also provides care for newborn infants....
in the country. It is also a teaching hospital
Teaching hospital
A teaching hospital is a hospital that provides clinical education and training to future and current doctors, nurses, and other health professionals, in addition to delivering medical care to patients...
and major provincial health care resource, and is a key component in women's health research.
BC Women's employs more than 1,000 full and part-time staff.
History
Formerly Grace Maternity Hospital, BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre has been caring for BC families since 1927. It provides a broad range of specialized health services that address the health needs of women of all ages and backgrounds. Women's is the largest maternity hospital in Canada with over 7,600 babies delivered every year along with a large prenatal diagnosis and treatment program. Women's provides a combination of acute care services such as HIV/AIDS care and treatment, abortion and sexual assault services for women throughout the province (through outreach and on-site services in Vancouver) and basic health care services such as breast health checks for women in the Lower MainlandLower Mainland
The Lower Mainland is a name commonly applied to the region surrounding and including Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. As of 2007, 2,524,113 people live in the region; sixteen of the province's thirty most populous municipalities are located there.While the term Lower Mainland has been...
. It also provides training for providers across the province.
BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre was founded in 1994 when Grace merged with the Women's Health Centre of the former Shaughnessy Hospital. Under the Provincial Health Services Authority, BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre has a provincial mandate to serve women, babies and their families across B.C. Only 43 percent of patients reside in the Lower Mainland, while 57 per cent of patients live in other areas of B.C. With many specialized women's health services not available anywhere else in the province, BC Women's treats over 68,000 patients each year.
Recent hallmarks
On October 25, 2006, Felicia Simms delivered conjoined twinsConjoined twins
Conjoined twins are identical twins whose bodies are joined in utero. A rare phenomenon, the occurrence is estimated to range from 1 in 50,000 births to 1 in 100,000 births, with a somewhat higher incidence in Southwest Asia and Africa. Approximately half are stillborn, and a smaller fraction of...
at BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre. They're believed to be the first ever conjoined twins born in British Columbia.
Canada's first set of sextuplets
Multiple birth
A multiple birth occurs when more than one fetus is carried to term in a single pregnancy. Different names for multiple births are used, depending on the number of offspring. Common multiples are two and three, known as twins and triplets...
, four boys and two girls, were born at the hospital on January 6 and 7, 2007. They were in the 25th week of gestation when born, or approximately 3 months premature.
Specializations and services
As a hospital, BC Women's is known for excellence in fetal, maternal, newborn and family health services. As the largest obstetrical hospital in Canada and B.C.'s only tertiary maternity care hospital, its specialists and staff:- deliver approximately 7,600 babies per year
- perform approximately 2,000 abortions per year
- provide essential high risk maternity care
- operate with 85 antepartum/postpartum beds, including 29 high risk beds, plus 9 delivery suites and 10 neonatal care nursery beds
- support low-risk mothers and families in 7 new single room maternity care rooms
- provide care for more than 42,500 in-patients visits each year
As a Health Centre, BC Women's provides care and treatment to over 19,000 outpatients each year through specialized women's health services including:
- Maternity Care Diagnostic Program
- The Oak Tree Clinic: Women & Children with HIV/AIDS
- Osteoporosis Program
- Breast Health Program
- Reproductive Health & Psychiatry
- Aurora Centre — A 27 bed residential addiction treatment & rehab program
- Aboriginal Health Program
- Sexual Assault Program
- Continence Program
- Family Health
- Midwifery Program