Frequently Asked Questions

• If you are covered by the BC Medical Services Plan (MSP), then a referral from another doctor, nurse practitioner, or podiatrist with a valid MSP number or equivalent provincial number is required.
• If you do not have MSP coverage, please contact us for more information about your consultation options.

• MSP covers you for your consultation and follow-ups with your physician, surgeries, and nonsurgical services in the office provided by our physicians.
• MSP does not cover the cost of injectables, braces or other medical devices. These are usually covered by your extended health plan if you have one.  Please consult with your extended health insurance plan administrator for information about your coverage of these products.

• Your care at POSM is covered by your province’s health plan similar to BC MSP. However, the billing procedure varies depending on which provincial plan you have.
  • We directly bill provincial health plans from all other Canadian provinces except Quebec due to reciprocal billing agreements between BC and those provinces.
  • Patients with Quebec health insurance coverage are financially responsible for the cost of their health care services in BC and will need to seek reimbursement from the Quebec health plan themselves, due to a lack of a reciprocal billing agreement with BC.

• We do not do direct billing to any extended health plan. However, we will provide you with the necessary documentation for you to file your reimbursement claim with your insurance company.

• The Regional Orthopaedic Consult Clinic is a nonsurgical orthopaedic and sports medicine clinic within POSM designed to expedite and streamline care of musculoskeletal conditions. This allows faster assessment of orthopaedic conditions by one of our nonsurgical orthopaedic specialists and initiation of nonsurgical treatments without having to wait for a consultation with one of the surgeons.
• ROCC physicians work closely with POSM surgeons in providing musculoskeletal care and will refer you directly to the most appropriate surgeon when indicated based on your medical condition and current waiting list numbers.

• Yes, but your wait time may be longer. Please ask your referring doctor to send your referral directly to the doctor of your choice.

• POSM surgeons also see patients at the Cast Clinic within Lions Gate Hospital and Whistler Health Care Centre, in addition to the main POSM office.
• Your appointment will be arranged for the location that is best equipped for the needs of your condition and location.

• POSM surgeons all perform surgery at Lions Gate Hospital in North Vancouver, BC
• Some POSM surgeons also perform some surgeries at Squamish General Hospital, New Westminster Surgical Centre, and occasionally Vancouver General Hospital or other surgical centres.

• The LGH cast clinic
  • Please note that this is an emergency clinic and the patient volume is extremely high out of necessity. You may need to wait beyond your scheduled time if there are delays with patients ahead of you. We always strive to provide patients with the necessary care in the timeliest fashion but given the high number of patients, this can cause delays. Generally, a simple assessment by the doctor will take approximately 10 minutes once you are seen. Wound care will typically take another 15-20 minutes and casting another 20-30 minutes. If you need X-Rays done on the same day at the hospital, please be aware that the X-Ray department is out of our control and frequently causes 1-2 hour delays in addition to your visit time. If you need an X-Ray on the same day, please allocate at least 3-4 hours for your visit. If you do not, please allocate at least 2 hours. You can opt to get your X-Rrays done in advance of your visit at a community clinic instead to save time – please ask your doctor’s office about this.
• The main office
  • Your visit will be 10-30 mins and generally runs on-time. Please allocate 1 hour total to allow time to complete any necessary paperwork or to arrange any medical devices you might need.
• Whistler Health Care Centre
  • Your visit will generally run on time. There may be slight delays during busy seasons and if you need to get X-Rays done on the same day. Please allocate at least 1 hour for your visit. If you need casting done then it can add 20-30mins to your visit in addition.
• Sechelt Hospital
  • Your visit will generally run on time. There may be slight delays during busy seasons and if you need to get X-Rays done on the same day. Please allocate at least 1 hour for your visit.

• We always do our best to be on time and be respectful of our patients’ time. However, we also strive to provide the best care we can to every patient, and as a result, some visits may take longer than expected and can cause your physician to fall behind in their schedule.
• We are obligated to see urgent conditions such as injuries quickly, and as a result, the number of patients booked into a clinic can be much higher than the normal capacity of that clinic, which will lead to delays that are out of our control.
• We thank you for your patience.

• Unfortunately, the demand for orthopaedic care is far greater than the available supply of orthopaedic surgeons due to resource constraints in our health care system.
• POSM is always operating at full capacity and we have designed the ROCC to shorten the wait time to see one of our orthopaedic surgeons.

• No. The security agents will be able to identify them as medical implants.
• You do not need any kind of doctor’s note for this.

• You will be contacted by someone from the surgical unit at Lions Gate Hospital in the coming days with your surgical scheduling information.
• Typically you will get the call in the late evening as urgent cases are scheduled based on medical priority of the cases that came in throughout the day.
• You will meet your surgeon on the day of surgery and they will evaluate you and discuss your case in further detail prior to your procedure.
• Please click HERE for more information on the urgent surgery program.

The North Shore Arthritis Surgical Assessment Program (ASAP) is a partnership between Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) and POSM that streamlines care for patients with hip and knee arthritis. Operating as a centralized intake and triage system, the program coordinates referrals from primary care providers into a single pathway, ensuring patients are prioritized based on clinical need and directed to the right care. Advanced practice physiotherapists conduct initial assessments and coordinate necessary medical tests, which reduces unnecessary surgeon visits and cuts down overall wait times for both surgical and non-surgical management. Click HERE for more details.