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During Your Visit

Our site
BC Children’s Hospital is a part of the Children's & Women's Health Centre of BC, a large campus including many different health care services, as well as academic and research facilities.

Navigating the site

  • The Campus Wayfinding Map (PDF) shows parking and entry points to facilities
  • Find the navigation volunteers in the lobby of the BC Children's Hospital building, or by calling 1015 or 7571 from any hospital phone.‎
  • Read the construction updates for help finding clinics during the construction

We are smoke-free

The entire grounds of BC Children’s Hospital and Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children are smoke-free. This means that staff, patients, and visitors are not permitted to smoke in our buildings or on our grounds.

Cell phone use

Cell phone use is permitted site-wide, unless otherwise indicated. 
Please use cell phones respectfully.

Accessible washrooms
  • Ambulatory Care building: all washrooms
  • BC Children's Hospital building: first floor near the north entrance (Entrance 17) across and down the hall from the Gift Shop and across from Second Cup
Bank Machines
  • Ambulatory Care building: first floor across from area three
  • BC Children’s Hospital building: main lobby (near the main entrance, Entrance 11) 
  • The Cafeteria (Shaughnessy Building, near Entrance 79)
Change stations - infant or toddler
  • Ambulatory Care building: all washrooms
  • BC Children's Hospital building: first floor near the Asthma, Allergy & Respiratory Clinics, across and down the hall from the Gift Shop and near the Cafeteria
Change Station – Youth
  • Ambulatory Care building: second floor behind area 11, near the windows
  • BC Children's Hospital building: first floor near the Asthma, Allergy & Respiratory Clinics

Family Support & Resource Centre

Ambulatory Care building: second floor in area 11


You’ll find: 
  • Computer Terminals
  • Family Lounges
  • Library 
  • Printer, Copier, Scanner, Fax
Gift Shop
BC Children's Hospital and BC Women's Hospital building lobbies

Lost & found
Contact Security by calling 604-875-2999

Pay phones
BC Children's Hospital building lobby; TTY machine available in the emergency department

Pharmacy
Located in the Ambulatory Care building: first floor in area six

Taxi phone
Lobby of BC Children’s Hospital building at north entrance (Entrance 17) and west entrance (Entrance 11)

Wheelchairs
  • Ambulatory Care building lobby, Entrance 21
  • BC Children’s Hospital building at north entrance (Entrance 17) and west entrance (Entrance 11); BC Women's Hospital main entrance (Entrance 93)
  • You will need a $1 coin   
Wi-fi
Connect to the CWGuest network and accept the terms and conditions before browsing.

Chapel
Second floor of the BC Women's Hospital building, in room 2N30, down the hall, across from the Arbutus unit.

Coffee night for guardians and families
Come have a warm drink and say hi! Coffee nights are free for guardians and families and are hosted by Volunteers of the Family Support Program sponsored by the Auxiliary to BC Children's Hospital. 

Coffee nights are held in the Teck Acute Care Centre, 7:30 - 9 p.m. in the Family Lounges:
  • Level 6: Mondays 
  • Level 7: Wednesdays 
  • Level 8: Thursdays
Family Lounges in the Teck Acute Care Centre:
Level 2, Level 3, Level 6, Level 7, Level 8

Showers in the Teck Acute Care Centre: 
Every private patient room in the Teck Acute Care Centre is equipped with a shower.

(Campus Wayfinding Map PDF)
 

Food & shops

Cafeteria

First floor of the Shaughnessy building, in the B-wing (Near Entrance 79)

Starbucks

Lobby of the Ambulatory Care building, 1st floor (near Entrance 42)
 

Snack bar

Lobby of the BC Women’s Hospital building (near Entrance 93)

Bean Around the World (Temporarily closed)

West side of the CFRI, at the Northwest end of the campus (left from Entrance 18)

Vending machines

  1. Behind Second Cup (Temporarily closed. Will reopen in Fall 2023)
  2. Cafeteria
  3. 2nd floor of Ambulatory Care building, directly above Starbucks
  4. Near inpatient units in the BC Children's Hospital building

Inpatient Nourishment Stations

Stations are available in every inpatient unit in the BC Children's Hospital building and include a microwave, fridge, toaster, sink, etc.

Food options near the site

Food Truck Wednesdays

  • Roundabout near Entrances 35 and 42
  • Every Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Gift shop

The Auxiliary to BC Children's Hospital owns and operates an on-site gift shop. All proceeds are donated to the hospital for patient programs and to enhance patient care.

The gift shop is open Monday - Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and carries a wide variety of items including children's toys, Mylar balloons and plush toys.

Phone orders and in-hospital delivery are available, please call the shop at 604-875-2000 ext. 7219 for further information.

(Campus Wayfinding Map PDF)

Thrift shop

The volunteers of the Auxiliary to BC Children’s Hospital and the Auxiliary to BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre manage the "Still Fabulous" thrift shop:

4355 Main Street, Vancouver 
Phone: 604-566-9135

The thrift shop raise funds for services, programs, and equipment for both hospitals, and specializes in high quality clothing, accessories, toys, jewellery, and house-wares.
Our team

During your stay you may find that there are a lot of people involved in caring for your child. Think of each member of your child’s health care team as one piece of a puzzle. They each add their expertise with the goal of making your child comfortable and well.

If you do not know the person who is in your child’s room, please feel welcome to introduce yourself. They will be happy to explain who they are and how they are involved in your child’s care.

The following staff could be a part of your child’s health care team:

  • Teachers in School Services provide ongoing educational support to school-aged children and youth (kindergarten to grade 12) while they or their siblings are staying in the hospital.
  • The chaplains offer spiritual care for women, families and children
  • The child life specialist prepares children, youth and families for life-altering events and upcoming procedures.
  • Volunteers are active in many places in the hospital, including the play programs, the Family Resource Library, and the wards.
  • Other professionals such as x-ray technologists and respiratory therapists are called upon if their expertise will contribute to your child’s treatment.
  • Dietitians can help you understand and plan a special diet or feeding needs, if these are needed for your child.
  • Occupational therapists plan activities to assist children to meet the learning challenges of normal growth and development. They help children who have difficulties with the activities of their daily lives.
  • Physiotherapists plan programs to help children whose disease affects their muscles, bones or joints. They help the child regain as much strength and normal movement as possible.
  • Pharmacists help to plan and manage your child’s medications.
  • Psychologists are available to help you and your child cope with, understand, and manage the emotions and behaviours that can come with a serious illness. They can also teach strategies for controlling pain, stress and anxiety.
  • Social workers can assist parents and families with the social or emotional impact of an illness. They can also help to identify community resources that can help when you return home.
  • Speech pathologists and audiologists are available if your child’s illness has affected their ability to hear.
  • Laboratory technicians are the people who draw blood for tests. This happens frequently, since these tests provide important information for treatment decisions.
  • Porter aides transport children around the hospital.

An attending physician is a specialist in child health (pediatrician) who takes overall charge of your child’s health care plan. The attending physician may also have a more specific specialization such as cardiology (hearts) or oncology (cancer).


  • Consulting doctors are doctors who have specialized training for one specific body system. They give expert advice to the team.
  • Residents and fellows are fully qualified doctors who are now training as specialists. They provide most of the day-to-day medical care. They work under the guidance of specialists.
  • Staff nurses (RNs) are directly responsible for the nursing care of your child. They want to get to know your child as a person. Please share with them your understanding and appreciation of your child’s needs.
  • Clinical nurse coordinators (CNCs) are responsible for the day-to-day running of the unit.
  • Clinical nurse specialist (CNS) has specialized knowledge in a certain area and often treats children who have complex illnesses
  • Clinical nurse educator (CNE) is responsible for providing education and teaching to the nurses.
  • Child life specialists provide play programs for children. This can be done in playrooms or at the bedside. They can help your child overcome some of their fears of the hospital through play or distraction.

The program manager is responsible for the unit. This is the person you should go to if you are concerned about any aspect of the nursing care your child is receiving.


Unit clerks are responsible for the clerical work of the unit. They work at the Nursing Station and can take messages for the medical team that is working with your child.‎

 
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