Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an unpreventable, complex, chronic, relapsing and often debilitating lifelong disease that does not yet have a cure. The two main types of IBD are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Both are caused when the intestine’s immune system responds aggressively or inappropriately to intestinal matter and attacks healthy tissue inside the digestive system. Patients experience disrupting and embarrassing bowel issues and crippling pain. Other symptoms include cramping, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, reduced appetite and weight loss. IBD can lead to life-threatening complications. In addition to physical ailments, IBD can lead to mental-health concerns, repeated and costly hospital admissions, long-term and high-priced drug reliance, and significant lost school time, work time and economic opportunity. Early, accurate diagnosis and modern treatment have the power to significantly decrease the physical and social burdens of the disease.
Seeing the necessity and urgency for improved delivery and management of care, a group of IBD specialists has formed a non-profit society and reached out to other stakeholders to help to improve the lives of the 25,000 British Columbian adults, youth and children struggling with IBD, by delivering province-wide efficient and effective modern care through the proposed IBD Centre of BC.
As a multidisciplinary full-time clinic, education and research centre serving IBD patients and specialists throughout the province, The IBD Centre of BC will address the challenges facing IBD patients, their families and the health-care system in BC.
The IBD Centre of BC will operate on a sustainable model that combines MSP-covered practitioners with fee-based practitioners. Our goal is to secure funding for non-MSP services from both the province and donors so that all IBD-related services will be provided at no charge to patients after receipt of a physician’s referral.
