Burnaby Hospital MS Clinic: A New Era of Care with the Bright Future Redevelopment

Burnaby native Peter has been a patient at Burnaby Hospital’s Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Clinic since shortly after it opened 20 years ago. “It was a brand-new clinic, at that point,” says Peter. Back then, he’d just returned to the Lower Mainland after attending school in Copenhagen. He was an avid cyclist and gran fondo participant, and his diagnosis with MS was still fresh. “To be honest, the Canadian health-care system deals well with acute problems – broken arms, car accidents, cancer – but not with chronic conditions,” he explains. “I was 32 at the time, I had a long life to lead… but a life that is about prohibitions and restrictions is not a life.”

Peter found that the team at Burnaby Hospital’s MS Clinic, led by Dr. Galina Vorobeychik, wasn’t focused on the limitations of his condition. “They enable you to lead your life, as opposed to telling you the things you shouldn’t do to avoid future problems,” he says. His athletic, professional and personal goals were taken seriously, and he was given realistic, empowering and consistent care. “The clinic brings together, in one place, the expertise you need to manage a disease that’s never going to go away,” he shares.

Burnaby Hospital’s MS Clinic is one of only two in the entire province, and demand for care requires more resources than the original space allows for. The clinic has 4,500 patients and currently sees over 80 each week. In B.C., there are 10,000 people with MS, and about 400 more receive an MS diagnosis each year. To support this growing need, Phase 1 of the Bright Future development includes a new, expanded outpatient MS Clinic. This will allow the MS Clinic team to deliver enhanced care in a modernized facility and give more MS patients in B.C. the opportunity to receive the kind of support that Peter has for 20 years.

Dr. Marketa de van Elzen, a neurologist at the clinic, explains that Dr. Vorobeychik encourages a holistic approach that makes all the difference. Neurologists, neuro-ophthalmologists, physiatrists and nurses work together to provide everything from MRIs to prescriptions to resources for financial and psychological aid. “The clinic provides care for everything that’s associated with the disease,” says Dr. de van Elzen. She knows the clinic’s work inside and out—she has MS herself, so she both delivers and receives treatment at Burnaby Hospital. “The team is very dedicated, and they are a great source of comfort,” she says.

“The clinic brings together, in one place, the expertise you need to manage a disease that’s never going to go away.”

Both she and Peter praise Dr. Vorobeychik’s tireless commitment to the staff and clinic patients, many who have been working or receiving care at Burnaby Hospital for well over a decade. “You can feel the harmony in the clinic,” says Dr. de van Elzen. Peter adds that he feels lucky to have the clinic nearby his Burnaby home, especially knowing that others with MS need to travel for their treatment: “It’s a major trek for some, whereas for me, it’s just down the road.” Thanks to Phase 1 of the Bright Future redevelopment, soon more patients living in Burnaby and beyond will be able to receive exceptional care at Burnaby Hospital’s MS Clinic.