B.C. Women's Hospital & Health Centre 3.11

B.C. Women's Hospital & Health Centre, an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA), is a Canadian hospital located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, specializing in women's health programs. It is the only facility in Western Canada dedicated to the health of women, newborns and families, and is the largest maternity hospital in the country. It is a teaching hospital and major provincial health care resource, and is a key component in women's health research.BC Women's employs more than 1,000 full and part-time staff.HistoryFormerly Grace Maternity Hospital, BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre has been caring for BC families since 1927. It provides health services that address the health needs of women of all ages and backgrounds. Women's is the largest maternity hospital in Canada with over 7,000 babies delivered every year. Women's provides a combination of acute care services such as HIV/AIDS care and treatment, abortion and sexual assault services for women throughout the province (through outreach and on-site services in Vancouver) and basic health care services such as breast health checks for women in the Lower Mainland. It provides training for providers across the province.BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre was founded in 1994 when Grace merged with the Women's Health Centre of the former Shaughnessy Hospital. Under the Provincial Health Services Authority, BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre has a mandate to serve women, babies and their families across B.C. Only 43 percent of patients reside in the Lower Mainland, while 57 per cent of patients live in other areas of B.C. With many specialized women's health services not available anywhere else in the province, BC Women's treats over 68,000 patients each year.