Regular medical care, or primary health care, is about keeping you healthy through access to basic, everyday health care services. We believe in taking a proactive approach to your personal health care by encouraging ongoing comprehensive care with a family doctor. Meeting your primary health care needs may involve other health professionals such as nurse practitioners, nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, physiotherapists and social workers.
Provide support to help you stay healthy and avoid getting sick or injured
Ensure you and your family have up to date immunizations
Advise you on what health screening services you should access
Help you prevent or manage chronic conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure
Provide initial diagnosis and treatment of illness
Empower you to take an active role in your own health care
Help you understand the factors that influence your health
Organize services and navigate your through the range of health services you require
Family doctors
Community health centres - see map below
HealthLinkBC - Call 8-1-1 (If you are hearing impaired, call 7-1-1) for a free, 24-hour telephone service, staffed by registered nurses, pharmacists and dieticians who can answer your health-related questions.
Walk-in clinics - If you have a health concern that is not an emergency, and you do not yet have a family doctor, walk-in clinics provide non-emergency health care services on a drop-in basis.
Urgent primary care offers same-day care for unexpected, non-life-threatening health conditions.
Hospital emergency department - If you are not dealing with an emergency health condition, use primary care services instead. Not sure if it’s an emergency? Find out here.
Emergency phone numbers - Find contact information for physical and mental health resources.
Community health centres provide a range of health care services in a single location, including access to public and community health nurses, mental health and addiction counsellors, dental clinics for children, speech therapists, nutritionists, youth drop-in health clinics and more. Do you live outside the VCH region? View a map of BC health authorities.