About HealthLink BC

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Some of British Columbia’s most trusted and recognized health information services are consolidated in HealthLink BC.

We have brought together the existing and reliable services that British Columbians count on for health information – BC HealthGuide, BC HealthFiles, BC NurseLine and Pharmacist service, and Dial-a-Dietitian – and expanded these with an online and by-phone navigation service to help B.C. residents find the health resources and facilities they require, closest to where they live. Click here to find more information and read the BC Ministry of Health Services news release.

This integrated group of services continues our history of high quality health care.

HealthLink BC is the gateway to access non-emergency health information and services in British Columbia. It’s a phone number and it’s a website; it’s a collection of print and telephone resources that put services and health know-how into the hands and homes of BC residents.

Through HealthLink BC programs and services, you can get the information you need to manage your health concerns or those of your family.

By phone: 8-1-1

Speak to a nurse: Call 8-1-1 to ask a registered nurse your health questions, any hour of the day or night. Nurses are available 24/7 to help you with non-emergency health concerns, to discuss symptoms and procedures and recommend whether you should see a health professional.

Speak to a pharmacist: Call 8-1-1 to ask medication questions. Pharmacists are on call at 8-1-1 when your community pharmacist may be unavailable, every night from 5 pm to 9 am.

Speak to a dietitian: Dietitians are available to answer your nutrition questions by phone at 8-1-1 or email from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Thursday, and 8am to 5pm on Friday.

Translation services are available in over 130 languages on request.

For deaf and hearing-impaired assistance (TTY), call 7-1-1.

We will help you find your way in the health system too. The health navigation team at HealthLink BC will direct you to the services you need, closest to where you live. You will find this service with its mapping function to help you further locate resources and facilities on the web at www.HealthLinkBC.ca.

On the web: www.HealthLinkBC.ca

Check your symptoms, learn about health conditions and topics, and find the resources and services you need.

HealthLink BC.ca has medically-approved information on over 4,000 health topics in our searchable database.

The integrated search and mapping function of our new Health Navigation Service also helps you find the health services you need, closest to where you live.

In print: BC HealthGuide Handbook and HealthLink BC Files

We have written the book on how to recognize and cope with common health concerns. Preventing illness, home treatment and when to see a health professional – it’s all in the free BC HealthGuide Handbook, available in English, French, Chinese, and Punjabi. For more information, click here. The BC First Nations Health Handbook, an online companion document to the BC HealthGuide, is also available on our website.

The HealthLink BC Files are fact sheets on public health and safety topics, available on the website and at local public health units. Some HealthLink BC Files are available in French, Chinese, Punjabi, Farsi, Spanish, or Vietnamese. Click here and see translated HealthLink BC Files for more information.

The handbook and other resources are available free of charge only to British Columbia residents and organizations that help to distribute these in their community. For more information, call 8-1-1 or see the order form.

Is it an emergency?

Call 9-1-1 (or a local emergency number) in the event of a medical emergency when immediate action is required.

If you are concerned about a possible poisoning or exposure to a toxic substance, call Poison Control for 24-hour toll-free poison information.

HealthLink BC Career Opportunities

HealthLink BC is recruiting registered nurses interested in a flexible career and in helping people make better decisions about their health. Join the dynamic and caring team of registered nurses at HealthLink BC and provide health information, advice and care with a national leader in tele-nursing. Located in Burnaby and Langley, British Columbia, HealthLink BC recruits qualified nurses on an ongoing basis for full-time, part-time and casual positions. Click here for more information.

A career with HealthLink BC presents an opportunity to be involved in an evolving tele-health care platform that provides comprehensive self-care and health system navigation services to British Columbians and health care professionals.

Come join our Front-Line Service! At HealthLink BC we are continually looking for qualified Health Service Representatives, Patient Transfer Coordinators, Tele-Dietitians, and Tele-Nurses to support our growing services.

HealthLink BC also offers a wide range of exciting and challenging career opportunities, as they arise, for people who are passionate about making a difference. For more information on careers with HealthLink BC and to view the opportunities open to the general public at this time please click here.

Thanks to our partners

Information contained in the HealthLink BC Health Navigation Service has been provided in partnership with the BC Health Authorities and Information Services Vancouver. We acknowledge the contribution they have made to bring the most comprehensive directory of health services ever to B.C.'s residents.