Vancouver Coastal Health delivers quality health services to the people and communities we serve. Read more...
The Transgender Health Program is a resource hub that provides information to anyone in BC with a transgender health question.
We provide information directly to individuals via group format, email, phone, and in person. We also provide health care professionals with information to help them support their clients and connect health professional with colleagues who specialize part of their practice in transgender health care to build capacity in local communities.
Our services are free, anonymous, confidential. We welcome all transgender-health related questions and concerns from individuals, families and others. Doctor’s referral, Care Card and/or ID not required.
NOTE: The Transgender Health Information Program does not provide transgender primary health care or assessments. We do not offer or have a team of specialists (e.g. psychiatrists, general practitioners, counsellors, etc.) but we can provide system navigation support and health care information.
New Standards of Care Implementation 2013
A recent communiqué from the Ministry of Health announced the implementation of new Standards of Care for Sex Reassignment Services in B.C. Please read through this document as there are some significant changes to the requirements for “top surgery”, most notably, the removal of the requirement for what has been known as Real Life Experience or RLE for Chest or Breast Surgery.
Transgender Health Information Program
Three Bridges Community Health Centre
301-1290 Hornby Street
Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1W2, Canada
Phone: 604.734.1514 or 866.999.1514 (BC only)
Fax: 604.633.4241
Web: transhealth.vch.ca/
Email: transhealth@vch.ca
Update on Primary Care: Transgendered Primary Care Services
Thanks to significant efforts by many, we are now able to offer expanded primary care access for transgendered persons living in the Vancouver Coastal Health region requiring diagnosis, hormone readiness assessment, and related health care. Services are provided to those living in the Vancouver Coastal Health Region (Vancouver, Richmond, North Shore, and Coastal/Rural) out of three sites: Three Bridges Clinic , Raven Song, and Pender Clinic. Youth (under the age of 25), refugee claimants, those with complex mental health diagnoses, and individuals with post‐operative complications, who live outside the VCH Region will be given special consideration regarding access on a case by case basis. This may include referral to another health care provider or organization.
Changing Keys
Changing Keys is voice training program designed to help individuals who are transitioning - or who have transitioned - and are living full-time as women. It is group and one-on-one work led by a certified speech-language pathologist with extensive experience in speech and voice training. The program is generously sponsored by the Transgender Health Information Program and is available free to participants.
Contact us for more information at 604-734-1514 ext. 2 or transhealth@vch.ca
Questions about how to get hormones or surgery?
The criteria and process for obtaining MSP funded surgery is currently being reviewed and there will be alterations, so please check back periodically for updates to the process and criteria.