Adult Cystic Fibrosis Clinic

Location

8B Providence Building, St. Paul’s Hospital

If you need help locating us, please ask one of our hospital volunteers to direct you.

About this clinic

We are an interdisciplinary team of health professionals, and are proud to offer patient- and family-centred care to patients living with cystic fibrosis (CF).

The Adult Cystic Fibrosis Clinic at St Paul’s Hospital had its beginnings in 1979 as one of the first “stand alone” adult CF clinics in North America.

Dr AGF Davidson, the Director of the Paediatric Cystic Fibrosis Clinic in BC, was a visionary. Believing in the improving patient survival rates, he initiated the move to an adult clinic and Dr Barbara Nakielna took on the task. The clinic started up in outpatient services at VGH with one clinic per month. Shortly after, it moved to Shaughnessy Hospital where a team of CF health professionals were set up. In 1980, the clinic received formal recognition from the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

The Clinic shared the Pediatric CF Clinic Coordinator Sr Maureen O'Loane. Maureen played a pivotal role in facilitating the transition process for the patients.

The patient numbers were small at that time, with only 20 patients aged 18 to 28 years old. Survival statistics were still grim - the median survival age was in the early twenties. However, the clinic kept growing and soon BC became the first province in Canada to have more adults living with CF than children.

In 1993, the closure of Shaughnessy Hospital resulted in the clinic moving to St Paul’s Hospital. Staff and patients received a very warm welcome along with dedicated clinic space and offices. In addition, a dedicated space for a gym and patient kitchen was negotiated. Dedicated CF families furnished the space through fundraising.

The clinic has thrived in the St. Paul’s Hospital location, supported by a strong team of dedicated health care providers. Patient numbers continue to grow and there are currently about 270 patients at the clinic. The median age of survival in Canada for people living with CF is now over 53 years old, and the clinic’s patients range in age from 18 to 80 years.

For further information about cystic fibrosis in Canada, please visit the CF Canada website.

Clinic hours

Monday to Friday
7:30 a.m. — 3:30 p.m.

How can we help?

Contact

Email cfclinic@providencehealth.bc.ca

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Clinical trials & research

The St. Paul’s Hospital Adult Cystic Fibrosis Program is committed to improving the quality of life and health outcomes of individuals living with CF.

We are involved in clinical studies that:

Improve our understanding of CF lung disease and other CF-related complications
Evaluate new investigational CF drugs
Improve the quality of CF care delivery

By participating in research studies offered through our clinic, you are making a valuable contribution to advancing the care of CF patients. Participation in research is completely voluntary and the clinical care you receive is not affected by your decision.

CF CanACT

The Cystic Fibrosis Canada Accelerating Clinical Trials (CF CanACT) is a Canadian clinical trials network established by CF Canada. The aim is to bring new therapies and better care to Canadians with CF through participation in clinical trials. We believe that creating a positive, engaging research environment for those with CF increases participation. This will then help with facilitation and the development of new treatments for CF.

The CF CanACT network consists of CF sites across Canada and St. Paul’s Hospital is one of them. We believe in collaborative work across sites to achieve recruitment goals. We are developing a process that allows anyone with CF living in Canada to be referred to a CF CanACT site to participate in a clinical trial. Once you meet the research criteria, you can take part.

For more information on CF CanACT and a list of CF-related trials conducted in Canada, please refer to the CF Canada website.

Medical & professional referrals

Information for health care providers who have patients living with cystic fibrosis (CF) can be found here.

News & stories

Support us

Individuals are welcome to donate to any aspect of cystic fibrosis care or research. You can speak to a staff member at the clinic directly through the main clinic office at 604-806-8522 if you would like to discuss making a donation.

Donations can also be made to The Adult Cystic Fibrosis Clinic Equipment and Patient Enhancement Fund. This fund is used to enhance the direct care of cystic fibrosis patients at St. Paul’s Hospital both physically and psychosocially. These donations are not directed to individual patients but are used to benefit all patients, such as the purchase of specialized equipment for in-hospital patient care. Donations can be made directly through St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation for fund #01866164, or through staff at the clinic.

Location

8B Providence Building, St. Paul’s Hospital

About this clinic

Clinic hours Copy link to this section

How can we help? Copy link to this section

Contact Copy link to this section

St. Paul's Hospital Patient & Visitor Guide

Clinical trials & research Copy link to this section