South Hill Family Health Center

Have been a patient there for 8 years, and it's the first time I've felt like I had a doctor who really cared about me and my health. She's showed up for me in so many ways. They clinic is a bit busy, sure, and appointments sometimes take longer than I'd like (not often, but sometimes), but I always get the impression that the reason for that is that they're working so hard and taking on so much, because the need is so high. I think that's the healthcare system's fault, not theirs. I don't interact with many of the other staff there so I can't speak to that side of things, really.

Long story short, I'd be devastated if my doctor ever left or if the clinic ever closed. By far the most affirming, empowering, and humanizing place I've been to for healthcare.

I’m very dissatisfied with the services I receive from this clinic. I got referred to this clinic from South Community Birth Program. For both of my kids, I have to check the vaccination schedule and book appointments. With a family doctor, I expect them to give me reminders or book vaccinations appointments for me. And the appointment time is so far that every time my kids got vaccinated, it’s 1 or 2 months behind schedule. We are basically healthy and need the services mostly for my kids vaccinations. One time I was 5 mins late for my appointment and the doctor told me to book another one because the session was only for 15 mins and of course I was charged $40. It’s my fault so I’m okay with that. But every other time I’m there, I have to wait for at least 15 mins.
And today I want to get the prescription for dokural (travelers diarrhea vaccine) so my extended healthcare will cover it, they say no and refer me to a travel clinic which charge me about $250 for consultation for 5 of us. And the consultation fee is not covered at all. My friend's family doctor gave them the prescription without any trouble.

I was fired as a patient from South Hill for being too healthy. I emailed to make an appointment for an urgent medical issue and received a very rude reply advising that I was no longer a patient there because I hadn't attended for three years. I have never heard of such a policy, and was certainly not advised of it. I received regular email updates and newsletters from them and had no reason to believe I was not longer a patient there. In fact when I first attended the clinic and attempted to get a basic physical for a baseline, I was told that they don't do annual physicals because they are unable to bill for them. My understanding from that conversation was that they were only to be called on when illness struck. I was left high and dry during my medical crisis and am once again without a physician.
This province's medical care system is a sad joke.

This is the TRASHIEST Clinic I ever experienced.

They never answer calls or requests ever during the open hours.
They never call back.
They forget to send important documents on time.
They cancel appointments without prior notice!
They have weeks of delay for anything you need.
Their receptionist staff is pedant and incompetent.

The WORST in each category is reached.
I think government should investigate them because this place is really subpar.

Avoid this place. It's the worst.
They show no professionalism nor respect toward the parents.
And the people on the phone are so rude I would totally fire them if they were working for me. What are they thinking keeping rude b***h*s like that talking to the patients (when they answer)
A very toxic feel is emanating from this place.

This is for the receptionists only!

Absolutely the worst I've ever had to deal with in a Doctor's office before.

They are flippant, rude, unprofessional and arrogant.

They NEVER answer the phones in a timely manner and when they FINALLY do, they act as though you're a huge inconvenience to them.

They often don't listen properly so you'll find yourself repeating the same thing multiple times and they'll still be impatient with you as though you're the problem.

They don't understand simple instructions or requests, take everything personally and act as though you're nothing more than a thorn in their side if you ask them to do their job.

Whenever I have to call here, I need to mentally prepare myself because it's so stressful.

I'm going to have to agree with all the really good reviews here because I've had nothing but good experiences at South Hill.
I've been there for a little over 2 years now and I also did their birth program. Incredible!
I am so grateful to have a family doctor at South Hill, who I absolutely love. She's progressive, kind, very professional and extremely informational.
I've never had any issues with the front staff. I think they are quite busy and considering how busy they are I think they do a pretty stand-up job. I've only been treated kindly by them. I'm also always seen in a pretty timely fashion and helped whenever I have questions.
Forever grateful for my son and I to be patient at South Hill community.

Finding this clinic when I moved to Vancouver was such a stroke of good luck. I was instantly drawn in by the rugs and antique furniture and how warm and welcoming it felt compared to typical austere medical environments.

My family doctor, Dr Jim Grant has always been prompt down to the minute with both calls and in-person appointments. He is dedicated to his patients and is approachable and knowledgeable for any physical or mental health related inquiry I’ve come to him with.

He is also a fantastic educator and listens to my concerns, entertains all my questions, and always makes me feel heard. I appreciate his holistic approach and I trust his judgement. He has demonstrated consistency, compassion and consent in the medical care he provides.

I strongly recommend this clinic if you are lucky enough to secure a family physician here.

Z tried to convince me to get SRS. When I said I didn’t want it, she tried to guilt and shame me into it. Years later and it still triggers me.

Great doctors, terrible admin staff including Director Lee Saxell. I’ve especially enjoyed seeing Dr Ian Arbuckle but every doctor has been great. But just like everyone else says, admin staff are extremely rude and communicate poorly and passive aggressively. In particular, Director Lee Saxell followed up with me directly regarding some important paperwork that I repeatedly asked to have completed by my doctor so I could pick up the original form and then they told me they shredded the form. I needed to submit the original, which was very important to my physical health and financial well being. When I complained about this, Lee sent me an extremely unprofessional email. I was honestly shocked and had to disengage after providing very thoughtful, direct, and important feedback to them. Her replies made no acknowledgment of anything I’d brought up and were curt, unkind, defensive, and immature. There are obviously management and communication problems at South Hill coming from the top. If you’re too burnt out to be professional, it’s your responsibility to take a leave, get counselling, or move on.

When you enter the clinic, there are so many admin staff and it’s unclear who to talk to, but most of the time no one looks up. One of the worst things that happened for me here was being scolded for not making an appointment ahead of time when I ran out of my meds. Obviously I should have done that, but for many reasons I messed up and didn’t. I needed a refill for mental health meds; imagine that, someone on mental health meds doesn’t always have it perfectly together enough to make sure I made appointment in time before my refills ran out. That’s life! I have a full time job, a toddler, chronic pain and health issues, plus manage living with depression. Have some compassion. But also, office admin staff are not my doctor and should not be talking to me about the details of my health care! It actually felt like a breach of confidentiality. Also also, it’s so hard to make an appointment within a reasonable amount of time that no wonder people need to make last minute appointments. If it’s so important, create a reminder system for patients that lets them know they need to book when they’re almost out of refills.

Wow. I'm really surprised by the 1 start reviews here. I have been with this clinic since 2016, had two babies since, and moved my husband to this clinic and it's all been stellar. The best choice I have made for our family's health care.

The front staff have always been exceptionally kind, compassionate, patient with booking me in, and helpful with getting forms sent to my insurance or the pharmacy (when I've misplaced a form that needed filling). When there's been tech issues with the virtual bookings, they called me, apologized and then found me another appointment the next day.

I have a consistent family doctor here but I appreciate the group practice. When I need a same-day appt for my children or I, all the info is already in our charts. They have been patient, very open, and compassionate. I have been cared for through what we thought was a miscarriage and they went above and beyond to help us get peace of mind the way we wanted. And the referrals - they never gaslight me when I think it's time to step it up to a specialist. They are always supportive.

And this group of doctors are progressive, non judmental, and appreciate your own knowledge or research.

If you want scientifically sound, progressive healthcare delivered with compassion, this clinic is it. I keep referring friends here and always feel so grateful we have a spot in their care.

I have been with South Hill since it opened and had a wonderful doctor at the time. My doctor moved away and I have been with one locum after another, which was fine overall. Recently, I had a terrible experience dealing with a rude and passive aggressive admin member who billed me a fee for missing an appointment that they never notified me about. Based on the other reviews, it seems that I am not the only one this happened to. I complained to them about it and now they dropped me as a patient. South Hill has gown down hill in my book and the staff do not make it feel like a safe or welcoming space for patients. So disappointing.