Geometric pattern of mountains

The Primary Care Clinic at Pender Community Health Centre provides primary health care to residents of the Downtown Eastside who do not have a primary physician and who have challenges accessing traditional health care services. Primary care provides services only to specific populations - not for general access.

How to access

  • Check eligibility

    • Adults aged 19 and over
    • ​Screening for access to services will be completed by clinic staff at first visit. Priority given to individuals living with complex psychosocial and clinical needs, who are vulnerable and underserved, and who require a higher intensity of services to achieve and maintain functional stability.

Hours of operation

Currently open
  • Monday:   8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • Tuesday:   8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • Wednesday:   8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • Thursday:   8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • Friday:   8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • Saturday:   Closed
  • Sunday:   Closed

Women only: Thursday from 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Parking & Transportation

Street parking is available

Services are provided by a team that may include doctors, nurse practitioners, nurses, concurrent disorders counsellors, social workers, community liaison workers, and peers.

Primary care health services include: medical exams; wound care; disease prevention; diagnosis; immunization for adults; information, treatment and prevention for sexually transmitted infections (STI), HIV and hepatitis; TB testing and care.

The clinic also provides addictions services including opiate agonist therapy (methadone/Suboxone) initiation and maintenance; needle exchange (clean needles and other harm reduction equipment/supplies) plus support in seeking detox, recovery houses and treatment centres.

Concurrent Disorders counsellors provide short-term individual counselling, as well as groups that address both mental health and addiction issues and referrals to other community resources and education.

Specialty area(s) include the Hepatitis C program, which offers monitoring and treatment of hepatitis C and a hepatitis C group.

Pender Community Health Centre

Pender Community Health Centre (CHC) serves the Downtown Eastside, Gastown, and Strathcona communities. ​We provide a range of health care and support services to people who have acute, chronic, palliative or rehabilitative health care needs. Pender CHC provides a range of health care and support services to people who have acute, chronic, palliative or rehabilitative health care needs. Clients must reside in the downtown eastside, have no other primary care provider (are not attached to another family physician elsewhere), and experience barriers accessing services elsewhere.

Primary Care Clinics

Primary care clinics provide primary health care to people who do not have a primary family physician and who have challenges accessing traditional health care services.