Mary Pack Arthritis Program
Mary Pack Arthritis Program
Vancouver Coastal Health
Contact Us
You can contact Vancouver Coastal Health in a number of ways:
In writing:
Corporate Office
11th Floor, 601 West Broadway
Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4C2
By phone:
Vancouver Coastal Health Information Line
604.736.2033
1.866.884.0888 (toll free for residents outside the Lower Mainland)
By Email:
feedback@vch.ca
About Us
Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) provides a full range of health care services ranging from hospital treatment to community-based residential, home health, mental health and public health services.
We are proud to serve residents in the coastal mountain communities, Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver and Richmond.
If you have any feedback on our website please send it to feedback@vch.ca.
Mary Pack Arthritis Program
The Mary Pack Arthritis Program provides treatment services for children and adults with arthritis across the province of British Columbia. Referral is usually initiated by family physicians and specialists and resources include a range treatment and education services and interdisciplinary team programs. Outpatient services are offered at sites in Vancouver, Victoria, Penticton and Cranbrook and inpatient rehabilitation services are provided at GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre in Vancouver and the Penticton Regional Hospital.
Programs and services available at each site are guided by the needs of client and the composition of the health professional team. Referrals may be recommended/arranged with other providers in the service continuum (e.g. chronic disease self-management classes, nutrition counseling, vocational rehab services, recreation counseling, sexual health clinicians etc. )
Ambulatory Services and Programs
The following services and multidisciplinary programs are available at the Vancouver Arthritis Centre, Victoria Arthritis Center, Penticton Arthritis Service, and Cranbrook Arthritis Service including:
Adult (Outpatient) Services: Treatment, counseling, and education services provided by a core team that may include occupational and physical therapists, nurses, and social workers (all sites).
Outpatient Day Program: Short-term daily intensive treatment, counseling, education, and community follow-up services for adults with complex forms of inflammatory arthritis’. Service team includes a rheumatologist, nurse, physical and occupational therapist and social worker (Vancouver site).
Drug Monitoring Program: Weekly clinics monitoring the safety and effectiveness of disease modifying medications such as injectable gold salts, methotrexate, and cyclosporin; and biologic medications such as remicade and rituxan. Service team includes rheumatologists and nurses (Vancouver and Penticton sites)
Biologics Infusion Service: Weekly clinics delivering a variety of biologic medications by IV infusion. Service team includes rheumatologists and nurses. (Vancouver site)
Children and Young Adults Program: Diagnosis, assessment, treatment, counseling, education, and community follow-up services for families with a child or adolescent with juvenile arthritis. Service team includes pediatric rheumatologists, nurses, physical and occupational therapists and social workers. (Vancouver, Victoria, Penticton sites)
Fibromyalgia Self-Management Program: Group education sessions for clients managing the symptoms of fibromyalgia and facilitated by health professional. (Victoria and Penticton sites)
Osteoporosis Rehabilitation Program: Group education and exercise sessions for clients managing symptoms of osteoporosis and facilitated by health professional. (Victoria and Cranbrook sites).
Education Classes: Ongoing series of education sessions for clients and family members. Topics may include managing rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, exercise, pain, stress, and a variety of coping strategies. Classes facilitated by health professionals (all sites).
Outreach Services: Consultation, treatment and education services to underserved rural communities provided by rheumatologists, occupational therapists, and multidisciplinary teams. (coordinated by Vancouver site).
Arthritis Continuing Education (ACE): Continuing professional education, case consultation, and client resource materials available to professionals treating clients with arthritis in communities throughout the province (coordinated by Vancouver site).
Referrals: A physician’s referral is required for physical and occupational therapy and specialized medical programs. Social work, nursing education and counseling services; and education classes are available without a referral.
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Inpatient Rehabilitation Services
GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre
A short stay inpatient rehabilitation program available to clients with systemic inflammatory rheumatic diseases and/or associated reconstructive surgery. Clients range in age from young adults to seniors. The conditions are generally more complex and include the more common rheumatoid arthritis and the less common diseases such as lupus, ankylosing spondylitis, and scleroderma. About 55% of clients enter the program following reconstructive surgery of the knee, hip or foot.
The criteria for admission include a diagnosis of rheumatic disease or related reconstructive surgery; medically stable; cognition, motivation and endurance adequate to benefit from active rehabilitation; goals for rehabilitation; and over 16 years of age.
Client care is organized around four interdisciplinary teams and an active program of therapeutic and education activities. Each team includes a rheumatologist, nurse, physical and occupational therapist, and social worker. Clients work with their team to identify their rehabilitation goals and plan how to achieve them. During their inpatient stay, clients may also access the services of pharmacy, nutrition, recreation, sexual health, vocational counseling, driver education, psychology, and spiritual care.
Clients are referred to the Program by a rheumatologist. For further information about the Program or questions about the referral process contact the GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre.
Penticton Regional Hospital
A short stay inpatient rehabilitation program available to clients in the Interior Health Authority.
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