Vancouver

UBC Hospital (UBCH) located on the beautiful University of BC campus in Vancouver, is one of the province’s foremost teaching and research facilities, and a leader in brain health research. This progressive and forward-thinking acute care site offers career opportunities for new and experienced health care professionals. There is a seamless transition of VCH employees between UBCH and Vancouver General Hospital, maintaining the high level of care provided across all Vancouver Acute sites. The UBCH team — from perioperative, to in-patient, to allied and support teams — won the Meritorious Performing Hospital Award for outstanding surgical outcomes from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) two years in a row — a first for any hospital in Canada. Patients scheduled for surgery at UBCH can put their minds at ease knowing they’ll be in the care of an expert team.

With approximately 8,000 completed surgical procedures/cases annually, UBCH has an award-winning surgical center of excellence for ortho-reconstructive surgery and sports medicine.

With 8 operating rooms, UBCH’s surgical services include: general surgery and oncology for gynae, urology, general and plastic surgery, ENT, oral max dental, ortho recon and ortho athletics procedures. UBCH also does minor vascular and neurology surgery (deep brain stimulation and rhizotomies only). In addition, the hospital offers specialty services in acute medicine,  psychiatry, tertiary mental health and a reconstructive breast program.

UBCH has been renovated and revitalized, creating more modern spaces with advanced technology. An Urgent Care centre is on-site taking care of moderate acuity cases and all registered nurses on-site are trained to work in an emergency setting. A state of the art integrated Sleep Center was built as well as new and improved in-patient units designed to support patient-centered care such as the Complex Activation Medical Unite (CAMU) offering slow stream rehabilitation, and a new high acuity unit to support more complex scheduled surgical cases and acute patients on campus. This is all a part of the UBCH Renewal Project to enhance quality of life by providing life-sustaining surgeries and care. The project enhances surgical capacity to meet patients’ needs today and position UBCH to accommodate future growth and technologies. With patient care and safety at the heart of the plan, enhanced inpatient clinical units will improve patient access to safe, quality care, while new and improved support service spaces will mean an overall better experience for patients and families.

Surrounded by lush forest on three sides and ocean on the fourth and where stunning views greet you around every corner, UBCH is located in a growing community. It is within walking distance to many beaches and Pacific Spirit Park which offers a network of trails contained in more than 750 hectares of forest. With its ideal location on the west side of the city, the population on this vibrant campus is growing exponentially. As its own mini-city within itself, UBC has its fair share of local restaurants and cafes, grocery stores, recreation sites, new real estate developments, three new schools (elementary and high school) being built and even its own Fire and RCMP departments. Many people and families call this unique location home.

​GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre is located in the South Cambie neighbourhood of Vancouver and is British Columbia’s largest rehabilitation centre. As a freestanding facility with 68 rehabilitation beds, GF Strong provides inpatient and outpatient outreach and clinical support services to clients.

“In 2015, while I was living in Winnipeg, I had a dream I was working at VGH two days after I visited Vancouver for a short trip. Maybe I fell in love with the city and my subconscious mind was telling me to move here,” shares Carlo, who turned his dreams into reality.

Carlo now works as a Registered Nurse in the Hemodialysis Unit at VGH and he feels ongoing support from his manager, educator, and nurses, who are always there to lend a helping hand. While working, he finds it very fulfilling when patients or relatives thank him and his team for the work they do. “Caring for people is the essence of nursing and it feels great to be appreciated for the care that you give.”

“I worked in acute care for 16 years in a variety of areas (ortho, burns, strokes, neuro, spine, outpatient hands, trauma, vascular surgery). It was time to ‘jump ship’ and move into the Community, where I could apply all my acute care skills to keep people at home. Working in Community offers much more flexibility than acute care,” says Linda, Occupational Therapist in the Vancouver Community

“The beauty of Community is that you are able to watch people progress over the long run, and you can adapt the care plan to continue to support them with remaining in their home. You become the ‘familiar face’ and a trusted member of their inner circle, as you support clients and their families through their life journey.”