Liver Care Clinic
The Liver Care Clinic is an outpatient clinic that aims to enhance the health and quality of life of those living with decompensated liver disease.
The interdisciplinary team will work with patients to meet their goals, whether that be returning to work, meeting eligibility criteria for transplant or managing complications of their disease.
The clinic will use a combination of in-person and remote visits, using virtual technology to support patients at home.
Program Goals:
- Empower patients living with liver disease
- Support families and support networks of individuals living with liver disease
- Improve patient care
- Coordinate health care services
- Reduce ER visits and hospitalization
- Incorporate technology to increase access to care
How to get a Referral
The Liver Care Clinic does not accept referrals directly from physician offices.
Referrals are accepted from:
- Hospitalists, gastroenterologists, and internal medicine physicians at the time of hospital discharge.
- Emergency department physicians after emergency department presentations.
- Gastroenterologists from Cool Aid and GI Central.
- Other sources: please refer via UMAC, GI Central
For more urgent assessment, contact the on-call Liver Physician (Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m.)
After your Referral:
Once we have received your referral, we will call you to schedule an appointment.
Royal Jubilee Hospital – Royal Block 1 (West Block Entrance)
1952 Bay Street
Victoria, BC, V8R 1J8
Tuesday – Friday: 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Closed weekends and statutory holidays
At your initial visit, a plan of care will be developed. This will include frequency of follow up appointments, recommended interventions and consultations with members of our team including social work and a registered dietitian.
You may have a paracentesis and/or albumin infusion at your initial visit (see additional resources for more information).
Frequency of appointments depends on the individual needs of each patient and varies from weekly to every 8 weeks.
In addition:
- If you are scheduled for a paracentesis and/ or albumin infusion, plan to spend approximately 2 – 6 hours at the clinic.
- Your care team will provide specific details upon booking your appointment.
- If you require extra assistance to ambulate and/or for toileting, please ensure that a caregiver accompanies you for your visit.
- If you are driving, please allow for extra time as parking space is limited.
- If possible, please bring your current medications with you and/or a list from your pharmacy.
- You may need to have other tests or procedures done which will be arranged for you.
If you need to change and/or cancel your appointment, please call our scheduler at 250-370-8220, ext. 3
After Your Visit
Please follow up on any medication, nutritional intake or other changes recommended by your treatment team.
If you are being enrolled in Remote Patient Monitoring, a Telus representative will contact you to deliver and set up your equipment.
If you had a paracentesis, contact the Liver Care Clinic if you have any of the following:
- Fever above 100.4 °F (38.0 °C)
- Bleeding from the puncture site
- Difficulty breathing
- Increased pain, redness, or swelling at the puncture site
- Unable to produce urine
- Fluid leaking from the puncture site for more than 48 hours
If you are unable to contact the Liver Care Clinic and/ or your primary care provider, go to the nearest emergency department.