Funded by the Rick Hansen Foundation’s philanthropic gift to VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation, SCI Nav is led by a specialized team at G.F. Strong Rehabilitation Centre
A new Spinal Cord Injury Navigation Service (SCI Nav) is now available to people living with spinal cord injury (SCI), their families, caregivers, and clinicians in BC and Yukon.
More than 12,000 people across BC and Yukon live with SCI – a lifelong condition for which there is no cure and numerous complications that impact health, independence and participation.
SCI Nav provides access to expertise, including advice, training and consultation services from specialists to help navigate treatment, rehabilitation and life with SCI. The service also supports complex SCI‑related needs, including bowel and bladder management, skin integrity, equipment issues and access to community supports.
Funded and guided by Rick Hansen Foundation, with input from Spinal Cord Injury BC (SCI BC) and support from VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation, SCI Nav is led by a specialized team at G.F. Strong Rehabilitation Centre in Vancouver.
“The G.F. Strong team is thrilled to be leading this service innovation and connecting patients and clinicians to the expertise and supports they need,” said Dr. Viet Vu, physiatrist at G.F. Strong Rehabilitation Centre at Vancouver Coastal Health. “Our inter-disciplinary teams at G.F. Strong have been providing care for people with SCI for more than 75 years, and now we can better extend our reach. We understand the challenges this population faces, and work closely with patients and caregivers to understand how we can help them achieve their goals. Much of this relies on people having access to the right care at the right time.”
Improving access to SCI care
SCI Nav is designed to improve access to SCI care, reduce complications and hospital readmissions, and support people living with SCI in BC and Yukon.
“Too many people living with spinal cord injury have had to navigate a complex health system largely on their own,” says Doramy Ehling, Chief Executive Officer, Rick Hansen Foundation. “SCI Nav changes that and ensures that every person affected by SCI in BC, no matter where they live, has access to the expert guidance and care they need.”
For individuals living with SCI as well as their families and caregivers, the service provides compassionate patient-centered support in real-time from a knowledgeable health care professional, as a complement to their existing care team. For SCI patients without a primary care practitioner, the team at G.F. Strong provides appropriate support in navigating the health system to help avoid complications related to SCI.
“I developed a urinary tract infection that was initially treated but returned again and again. After seven trips to the Emergency Department and five antibiotics, I was hospitalized with an in-dwelling catheter,” said Anand Kannan, former patient of G.F. Strong Rehabilitation Centre with a T7 paraplegia. “I then learned about the SCI Nav service. In a matter of days, I reviewed my medical history with the G.F. Strong team and received a recommended further testing and referral to a physiatrist. The service I received from the care team here in the Interior and in Vancouver has been very helpful. I’m happy knowing more supports are available for non-routine care.”
For clinicians, SCI Nav provides free, peer-to-peer clinical support from experts at G.F. Strong through advice, targeted training or a three-way consultation with a patient.
Soft launched in Fall 2025, the service is a three-year pilot initially serving G.F. Strong patients and clinicians in rural, remote and First Nations communities with a phased expansion across the province and territory. Primary and emergency care, including medication refills, are not part of the service.
SCI Nav is a free, no-referral service. Patients, caregivers and clinicians can learn more by visiting vch.ca/scinav or contact SCI Nav directly by calling 672-965-1702 or emailing scinav@vch.ca.
G.F. Strong Rehabilitation Centre
G.F. Strong Rehabilitation Centre is the largest, most specialized rehabilitation centre for people in BC and the Yukon with spinal cord and brain injuries. Supported by donations to VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation, a multidisciplinary team at G.F. Strong delivers individually tailored care and treatment, helping people restore independence and rebuild their lives.
VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation partners with donors to fuel groundbreaking research, world-class health care teams, and life-saving treatments benefitting everyone in BC. To donate, visit vghfoundation.ca/ways-to-give.
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