Children across BC with extraordinary health needs, requiring complex care, will soon have access to a children’s complex care transition centre in Vancouver. Operated by the BC Children’s Hospital, the facility will fill gaps in services and supports for children and young people with complex care needs and will complement what is currently provided in acute care and community settings. This will be the first centre in the country to provide such a comprehensive range of supports for children with medical complexity at a single site. The centre will serve as a stepping stone between acute hospital care, community care, and home, providing services under a new, unique model of care designed to support patients and families in the transition.

The centre will support children in improving their quality of life through education and building local care capacity for those who are moving back home from an acute care setting but who may not be ready for a full return, as well as helping to avoid crisis situations requiring admission to an acute care facility.

Patients up to 19 years of age and their families will be able to access health care services ranging from assessment, examination, and treatment to education, training, and research. Care will be provided by an interdisciplinary team of doctors, nurse practitioners, nurses, and allied health professionals. The centre will also provide training for parents and caregivers to help with care delivery at home, as well as supports for siblings. The virtual campus and province-wide community-based care network will extend the centre’s reach to every area of BC and will also include training and support for caregivers and clinicians.

The new facility will be located at the current site of the Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children, scheduled to be relocated to the main campus of the BC Children’s and Women’s Hospitals. There will be close links between the services provided at the site and those provided on the main BC Children’s Hospital campus on Oak Street.