BC Cancer - Breast Screening

I had an excellent experience (cancer aside!) at the BCCA. The nurses there are AMAZING - always so professional, knowledgeable and caring. I dealt with many nurses there while going through treatment and they were all great. I also felt my doctors really listened to me and did their best to help me manage my side effects, e.g. adjusting my meds and sending me to see other medical professionals as needed. The only reason I'm giving four stars is because they are still using archaic communications systems - sending appointments via mail vs email or text message. This is a funding and privacy issue, no doubt, but should be addressed.

Triaging urgency of appointments needs improvement. Long wait times of 3-4 weeks for biopsy of breast tissue from initial diagnostic imaging that was highly suggestive of malignancy. This could be due to lack of, or poor protocols in place, poor communication between the radiologist/staff and reception or ineffective reception staff. Or they simply don't care about getting people who most likely have cancer in sooner, because they are too busy. Time is of essence for aggressive breast tumors in younger women. Case could have been managed better by this office.

I am shocked at so many negative reviews. I have been using this clinic for 40 years and have never had a bad experience. Very much the opposite. I have found the staff polite and helpful, their communication skills good and their attitude always professional. And they have the very latest tech-wise in equipment. This is essential.

Had two chest x-rays at this place. The first time, no protection/lead apron was offered. As I am the patient and trust the technician is ensuring I receive proper care, I didn't think anything of it. Got a follow-up of the same x-ray and was offered a lead apron to cover my abdomen/reproductive organs. I called the office manager and asked why the protection was different and why I wasn't protected adequately from radiation for the first x-ray - she said I should have asked for protection and to make sure to ask next time. What??? As the patient, I am NOT best informed to know what protection I require and trust the technician is doing their due diligence to ensure I am the least exposed to radiation. NEVER GO HERE.

My technician/screener on April 29th, 2021 I felt like she was slightly torturing me while calling out orders like a drill sergeant. It's all in the tone. She only softened her tone when she briefly thought I was a nurse. Overall though, this is a convenient location and most of the other staff are professional and organized with good safety protocols in place it seems.

They get 1 star since technician started out well with great bedside manner as she asked me if I was cold.Blame the patient and even the doctor for their mistake and makes no apologiesSo I had to do a follow up and a requisition was sent for one breast. When they called, explained that follow up was suppose to be both sides. The person calling said they only have requisition for one but she will book for both sides. I should call my doctor for requisition for other side and call them 3 days before the appmt to confirm they received it. She also said come 30min early For her helpfulness, I put a 2nd star.My doctor was in disbelief as it was the doctor at this screening who said a follow up was needed and offered to talk to them if there are problems with booking.I followed all their instructions. Got second requisition, called to check and came early to appmt but wait 20mins after my appmt time.So back to the appmt. The technician was nice and completed one side. I told her there should be a 2nd side. She said she will check as she only had 1 requisition. Her supervisor said they only have 1 and cannot do it. I said how. They were the ones who called me for appmt. They said the doctor should have sent requisition. She told me to get the doctor to send it and come again since they will have more time. I told her that your reception called me to book the side that is now missing the requisition, helped me booked me for both sides, asked me to get the 2nd requisition and told me to call to confirm which I did all that. To ask me to come again meant asking time off from work plus it wasn't my mistake.So the supervisor said she will check and technician said she will do the ultrasound. Then technician complains that she is busy and behind schedule and imply its my fault. I respond by asking her how is it my fault. I'm the patient. You are the medical expert. I based my Info on you being the medical expert. I am the patient following instructions given. so she kept quiet.Her supervisor then comes in gentle puts the 2nd requisition and leaves. No apologies. When the technician finsihed, she mumbled you are done. So I asked her did you get the 2nd requisition. She said I don't know then admits yes. Again no apologies.If no errors, then they are nice. if there are errors, even if their fault, they will make it seems like it's you and your doctor's fault. This didn't only happen to me but I have seen it in person while waiting that it happened to others.

They checked me in and then just forgot about me. So I had to wait 45 minutes for absolutely nothing. The technician was asking medical questions like her work depends on my answers, which it does not. I saw other patients called in and at times they call your name and just walk away as if you're supposed to know that you have to follow them OUTSIDE the entrance door. Ridiculous.

First impression, receptionists were unfriendly and unprofessional, she had a box of Domino's pizza sitting in front of her and I felt as though I was disrupting her break. Food should not be consumed at reception, for one reason being people coming in for appointments might be feeling unwell and sensitive to smells, we are asked as patients not to wear fragrances. The two receptionists also looked greasy and ungroomed and couldn't even crack a smile. I was told to sit and wait to be called in, I sat down and looked around the waiting room, the door to the office is cracked, wood peeling and scuffed up, the carpets were absolutely filthy and disgusting. The walls are littered with excessive passive aggressive signage, a lit up number sign stuck at 70 like some deli counter, the overall appearance of the waiting room is dismal and dirty. I get called in to the exam room by a technician covered head to toe in ER room garb and gloves that I'm almost certain she hasn't changed because she left the exam room to get me with the gloves on, did my exam and walked out to get the next person without removing gloves. She asked me if it was my first mammogram and yes it was but she did not explain much to me but yarded on my breast and then walk out the door. This place was horrendous, having the BC Cancer label I expected more.

I have been having annual mammograms at this location for almost 25 years and the service is always excellent. I have rarely waited more than 5 minutes beyond my appointment time and I have often been seen earlier. The technicians are professional and very competent. I am grateful for their expertise every year.

If I could give 0 stars I would. Go to any other clinic if you can. When I showed up for my appointment the receptionist said i'd called and cancelled which I absolutely had not. They would not see me and did not apologize. They re-scheduled me for the next soonest" available appointment over a week later. I was basically crying in the waiting room and I'd missed work to go. The lack of sensitivity was astounding. The whole waiting room heard everything too. Terrible experience."