The virtual Post-COVID Recovery Clinic is available to all patients across B.C. who meet clinical eligibility criteria.
Evolving the model of care to meet patient needs
On April 1, 2023, the Post-COVID Recovery Clinics will consolidate to a province-wide virtual clinic serving people throughout B.C. The program will continue to care for patients who will access these services virtually and – while the number of new patients with long-COVID symptoms is decreasing – these services and resources will continue into the future.
In addition, new funding is now available to further invest in these services and supports and education for clinical teams.
For current patients:
We are connecting by telephone with all active patients to ensure the transition is seamless for you.
After speaking by phone, we will send a letter outlining details of your transition and note any updates we discussed about your recovery or readiness for discharge from the program.
If you have a primary care provider, they will also receive a letter to ensure everyone involved in your care is kept informed. They are a key support in your general health needs, and we will ensure they can reach us if your long COVID symptoms re-develop or worsen.
If you do not have a regular primary care provider, your ongoing long COVID care will continue to be facilitated by our team with you.
You will remain a Post-COVID Recovery Clinic patient until it is mutually determined you are ready for discharge from the program.
The consolidated provincial virtual clinic will continue to focus on supporting symptom management and functional improvement for all:
Nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists and social workers have played a very significant role in these services; these professions will all continue supporting patients in their recovery.
Supporting recovery will continue to occur with a variety of tools, including education sessions to help with symptom management and, for some, depending on where they are in recovering, group therapy and individual appointments related to specific needs.
New supports and tools will continue to be developed with patient input to meet your needs and based on new science as it emerges.
New patients or patients who have been referred but not yet seen:
- Consistent with past practice, new patients will continue to be welcomed through referral.
- Patients will continue to be assessed by a specialist nurse, then based on symptoms, receive immediate access to the most appropriate self-management supports and group learning opportunities based on individual needs and what makes sense for each.
As has been the case, where assessment identifies need for a physician consultation as part of your journey, provincial clinic staff will facilitate this, whether it be for more general medicine needs or sub-specialist needs.
As a participant in a Post-COVID Recovery Clinic, you will be presented with opportunities to get involved in research. If you are interested, more information can be found on our PC-ICCN Research page.