With humility, we acknowledge that the practice of family medicine will take place on the traditional and ancestral territories of the Snuneymuxw.

The Health Connect Registry is a new, central registry for people who are looking for a family physician or nurse practitioner (primary care providers). If you, your family, or a person in your care live in the Gabriola Island area, you can register with the Health Connect Registry.

You will be contacted directly once any primary care provider has capacity to accept you as a patient.

Register Now

Recruitment of new family physicians and nurse practitioners is an ongoing priority. Registration on the Health Connect Registry helps us to better understand how many primary care providers are needed in a community so we can plan and advocate appropriately.

Please note we are not able to provide an estimated timeline or any indication of your position on the list. Attachment to a primary care provider is expected to take some time and your patience is appreciated.

Emergency or immediate care

If you have a medical emergency, call 9-1-1.

• Medical Arts Urgent and Primary Care Centre: Residents of Gabriola Island without a primary care provider can contact the Medical Arts Urgent and Primary Care Centre in Nanaimo at 250-753-3431 or 250-741-0447 between 8am to 9pm on weekdays and 9am to 6pm on weekends and holidays.

Other resources to help with your care

• First Nations Virtual Doctor of the Day: First Nations persons and their family members can call 1-855-344-3800 or email fndod@fnha.ca to book an appointment with First Nations Virtual Doctor of the Day between 8:30am to 4:30pm daily.
• Gabriola Island Community Services Directory: An online database that provides resources for patients and families regarding health and community services. You may find resources for addictions & substance abuse support, chronic pain support, maternity care, seniors' services, wellness support, and more.
• Prescription Refills: Pharmacists can help you with an emergency prescription. Please visit the HealthLink BC Directoryto find a pharmacy nearby.

About Primary Care Networks and the Health Connect Registry

PCNs are community-based networks of health care professionals and clinics who plan and deliver all day-to-day health care needs of a community. Within these networks, teams of providers work together. This way, patients receive better care, by the right person, at the right time, closer to home.

PCNs are part of the Province's Primary and Community Care Strategy to make sure you have faster and better access to the everyday health care services.

The Health Connect Registry is part of this strategy. The registry works with active PCNs who have the infrastructure in place, to help patients find a regular family doctor or nurse practitioner, because we know that having a regular provider leads to better health for you and your family.

Update Your Information

Keeping information on the Health Connect Registry up to date is important. This will help us connect you to a family doctor or nurse practitioner. If you need to update information on the Health Connect Registry for yourself, your family or person in your care, please contact HealthLink BC by dialing 8-1-1, or for the deaf and hard of hearing, dialing 7-1-1.

A HealthLink BC health service navigator will ask you for the Client ID you received when you registered and your personal health number. If you are updating information on behalf of your family or a person in your care, you will require their Client ID and personal health number to make an update.

Information on the Health Connect Registry can only be updated by phone at this time.

Health Services and Support

While you are waiting to be connected with a family doctor or nurse practitioner, please consider the following for accessing health services and support.

Call HealthLink BC

HealthLink BC provides free health information and advice any time of the day or night. Call us toll-free at 8-1-1 in B.C., or for the deaf and hard of hearing, call 7-1-1. A health service navigator will help you find the information you are looking for or transfer you to a registered nurse, registered dietitian, licensed pharmacist or qualified exercise professional. Our navigators can also help you find a health service in your community such as a walk-in clinic or urgent primary care centre. Translation services are available in over 130 languages.

Visit your local walk-in clinic

You are welcome to visit a walk-in clinic. Walk-in clinic doctors can diagnose, manage illnesses, prescribe medication, order medical tests and make referrals to specialists. Please visit our HealthLinkBC Directory to find a clinic close to where you live.

Find health services and support in your community

Search our HealthLinkBC Directory to find health services in B.C. We list all publicly-funded health, mental health and addiction treatment programs. If you need help finding a health service, call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1 and speak with one of our health service navigators.

Last updated: May 16, 2023

The content and resources included on this webpage have been jointly created and curated by the Rural and Remote Division of Family Practice and HealthLink BC.