Trans Specialty Care
Related topics: 2SLGBTQIA+ Transgender care
Trans Specialty Care offers knowledgeable and specialized care to transgender and gender-diverse persons.
Services include:
- Hormone starts and stabilization
- Surgical care planning and referrals
- Pre-operative information and education
- Post-operative nursing care
For clients accessing the above services, we can also help with the following:
- Primary Care Attachment
- Injection teaching
- Identity document changes
What to expect
Intake process
First, our intake clerk will contact you to begin your registration. You will then be added to our waitlist for a nursing intake. Your first appointment will be with an intake nurse who will discuss your goals and needs and can refer you to some services immediately if necessary. If appropriate, the nurse will book you an appointment to see a doctor or nurse practitioner. We use an informed consent model to provide gender-affirming care and use these appointments to document your gender experience and your mental and physical health status and have a complete discussion with you regarding the risks and benefits of the care you are seeking. The doctor or nurse practitioner may need to add additional appointments after they meet you or may recommend that certain health issues get stabilized before starting any therapy.
Learn more about what your first appointment will look like.
What happens next?
Once your medical gender goals are met, we will work with you to begin transitioning your hormone therapy to your family doctor or another primary care provider in the community. We will also help you access surgery and support you for 6 months post-op while you recover. We recognize that many primary care providers have limited knowledge in this area and are happy to support them in providing your ongoing care. If your primary care provider is unwilling or unable to provide your ongoing care, we can refer you to a different provider or an endocrinologist. Due to high demand, we cannot provide lifetime care for clients who go through our program.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What if all I need is a surgery recommendation and do not want hormones?
We offer surgery care planning, referrals and system navigation even for patients who are not interested or ready to proceed with hormone initiation. For questions about the referral requirements for the surgery you are interested in, please contact one of our team members at (604) 331-8901 or transcareintake@vch.ca.
If you are living outside of Vancouver Coastal Health's regional catchment and are above the age of 18, don't hesitate to get in touch with Trans Care BC to get connected to a surgical care professional.
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I am going out-of-province for my surgery. Can I get post-op help when I get back?
Yes! Please get in touch with us as soon as you have your surgery date. Our nursing team will connect with you before surgery and help you prepare. They will also set up care for you once you return to BC.
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What if I don't have MSP?
If you do not have current medical coverage, please let us know in advance. Find more information on MSP and the interim federal health insurance program:
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Can I get on hormones faster if I have seen a mental health professional for a hormone readiness assessment?
Unfortunately, not through our service. A hormone readiness assessment may shorten the number of appointments needed with the doctor. However, our doctors still want some time to get to know you before initiating therapy. To be fair to everyone, we ask everyone to wait on the same list. However, your hormone readiness recommendation letter now allows you to access an endocrinologist who may have shorter wait times. Our intake nurse can provide you with names of endocrinologists in Vancouver that you can take to your family doctor or a walk-in clinic to obtain a referral.
Resources
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Trans specialty care pamphlet
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What will my first appointments look like?
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Trans Care BC
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Rapid Access to Consultative Experience line
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Trans specialty care referral for surgical care
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Trans Care BC
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Information for health care providers
Most of our doctors provide transgender health advice through BC’s Rapid Access to Consultative Expertise (RACE) line. Please contact the Trans Health Doctor on Call through RACE.
Self referrals
You can self-refer by calling our Trans Specialty Care intake clerk at (604) 331-8901 or through our online referral form.