Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre

Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre (VHHSC) is a medical facility located in Vancouver, British Columbia. The VHHSC is the second largest hospital in Canada, with 1,900 beds and nearly 116,000 patients each year. VHHSC employs 9500 staff and utilizes 1000 volunteers. As of 2005, the hospital's annual budget is $463 million.

History
The Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre was formed in 1993 when Vancouver General Hospital merged with UBC Hospital.

In 1995, the GF Strong Rehab Centre and George Pearson Centre merged with the VHHSC.

In the spring of 1997, the VHHSC merged with the BC Rehab Society and the clinical component of the Arthritis Society of BC & Yukon.

Facilities
The primary referral, teaching & research hospital in the province and has strong ties with the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia.

Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre is composed of five sites: Vancouver General Hospital, UBC Hospital, GF Strong Rehab Centre, and George Pearson Centre.

VHHSC has neither obstetrics nor pediatrics specialties. These are handled at the nearby BC Women's Hospital and Health Centre and BC Children's Hospital, respectively.

UBC Hospital
The UBC Hospital, located on the University of British Columbia campus adjacent to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, opened in 1968. It currently has three units: the Acute Care unit in Koerner Pavilion, the Extended Care Unit in Purdy Pavilion, and the Psychiatric Unit in Detwiller Pavilion.

Specialty areas at UBC Hospital include: acute medicine, general surgery, reconstructive orthopedic surgery, psychiatry and gerontology.

GF Strong Rehab Centre
Located in Vancouver's Fairview neighbourhood, British Columbia's largest rehabilitation centre provides services in four main areas: acquired brain injury, spinal cord injury, arthritis and neuromusculoskeletal. It also has specialized programs for adolescents and young adults.

The centre opened in 1949 and was named after Dr. George Frederick Strong. It has about 800 employees.

George Pearson Centre
The George Pearson Centre, located in the Marpole neighbourhood in the south of Vancouver, is a home for 197 adults with severe disabilities. The centre opened in 1952 as a long-term care facility for tuberculosis patients and joined the VHHSC in 1995.