Camas Lelum Primary Care Clinic
About
Camas Lelum Primary Care Clinic is a team of physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, and midwives serving community members of all ages both on-and-off reserve, First Nations, Métis, and Inuit living in southern Vancouver Island, or those accessing health services of the Vancouver Island Health Authority – South Island.
In addition to culturally safer medical services with a physician or nurse practitioner, we also promote access to Indigenous cultural practices and medicine as a part of health care services. As we work through intake for a waitlist of hundreds, we ensure that those with urgent, life-threatening medical needs are attached to a doctor or nurse practitioner as soon as possible.
We are accepting new patients; please refer to the FAQ section for details on how to apply.
If you are applying to become a patient and have an urgent need for care (i.e. a new cancer diagnosis or other serious medical condition)
please let us know when you apply.
Our base appointments are 30 minutes – we are not going to rush patient care, and we will meet individuals and families where they are at in their health journeys. We thank you for your patience and understanding.
How to Reach Us
9:00 am – 4:00pm
Closed noon-1pm
Monday to Friday
(closed holidays and
weekends)
Unit 209-2951 Tillicum
Road, Victoria, BC
V9A 2A6
Located on the 2nd floor of the Gorge Plaza. Entrance left of Shoppers Drug Mart (elevator and stairs) or at the rear of Subway (stairs only).
Tel.: (250) 940-2669
Director: Grey Showler
New patients must call for waitlist
(250) 940-2669
Important Resources
Events Calendar
Patient Information
We offer access to health and medical services for Indigenous people and their families in the Greater Victoria area. Primary care, also called family medicine, is a life-long relationship where we collaborate with you to support your wellness.
We are a part of the Victoria Native Friendship Center (VNFC), and our services strive to be culturally safe and integrated with VNFC’s wide range of health and wellness services.
How do you work with the VNFC?
Our team at the clinic works collaboratively with the VNFC to ensure culturally safe services, and to connect client’s with other services and cultural supports when requested.
Only your care team has access to your medical records and information, and connections to other teams are only made with your explicit consent. Your privacy is important to us.
Help us, help you!
There are a few things that are really helpful for us to be able to support you.
- Set up your voicemail: If you have a phone and
voicemail, it is really helpful if you have at least your
first name in your voicemail message, or your full name
if comfortable. This lets our team leave voicemails for
you, but it also lets other healthcare providers leave
messages for you, like specialists. - Tell us about changes to your phone number or
address: This helps us get a hold of you, but it also helps
when we do referrals or connect you with other
services. - Requesting a prescription refill: If you are at your
pharmacy, please ask them to fax us a refill request. If
you are at home, feel free to give us a call at the clinic.
You may need a phone call or in-person appointment to
have your prescription refilled, so please let us know 1-2
weeks before you run out of medication.
Meet the team!
We are a team of medical office administrators (MOAs), family doctors, registered nurses, midwives, and nurse practitioners. We also supported by a physiotherapist, pharmacist, and social worker. Some members of the care team are at the clinic on a weekly or monthly basis.
Who can help me?
Medical Office Administrators: we can help you with checking in for your visit, booking or changing appointments, and passing messages to your care team.
Family Doctors & Nurse Practitioners: we can help you understand
and address your health concerns including:
- Investigations, like ordering blood tests, scans, or swabs
- Interventions, like referrals, prescriptions, and procedures
- Guidance, like advice, education, and collaborative decision
making - Support, like listening, connections to other services, including
medical forms
Registered Nurses: we can help you nurture your wellbeing, and we focus on disease and illness prevention, including:
- Vaccinations, to prevent different kinds of contagious illnesses
for both kids and adults - Health education, to connect you with the information you need
to understand your body and what might be helpful for you - Health planning, to take that information and help you put it into
action - Coordination, to support you in navigating the health care
system
Midwives: We can help you with pregnancies, birth, and after you
have given birth, up to 6 weeks later. Chat with a family doctor or
nurse practitioner about if we are a good fit for your pregnancy, and they can refer you to us!
Physiotherapist: I can help you with your mobility and function,
including addressing ongoing issues, or preventing new ones. Ask one of the MOAs to be put on the wait list for physio!
Pharmacist: I can help you with your medications, including
understanding what they are and what they do, when to take them
and how to take them. I also work with your family doctor or nurse
practitioner to explore alternatives or manage side effects. You can
be referred to me by another care team member, or ask the MOAs directly to book an appointment with me.
Social Worker: I can help with life problems that affect your health.
This can be things like getting housing, money, or food, support with your mental health, or connecting you with other services. You can also meet me at my office in downtown Victoria, or by phone. You can be referred to me by your care team, ask a family doctor, nurse practitioner, or registered nurse.
We work as a team, and our roles can overlap, so please don’t hesitate to ask anyone of us for help. Don’t worry about asking the “right” person, there are no wrong doors here!
No matter who you ask, our team will figure out who the best person is for the problem, and connect you to them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Please call (250) 940-2669. If you have an urgent need for care (i.e. a new cancer diagnosis or other serious medical condition)
please let us know.
A Nurse Practitioner, or NP, is a special kind of nurse who has done extra
training to support you with your health.
Nurse Practitioners can:
- Check your health when you’re sick or need a check-up
- Order tests like blood work or x-rays
- Give medicine and help you understand how to take it
- Treat most physical and mental health problems
- Refer you to specialists if you need more care
Give us a call! We do our very best to see people as soon as we can. You might speak to one of the registered nurses, who can figure out if you need to be seen urgently, and if you need to come to the clinic that day, or if a phone call with a nurse practitioner or family doctor is a good fit.
The registered nurse may also be able to assess if managing at home makes sense, give you advice on improve your comfort and wellbeing, and book you a non-urgent appointment for follow-up.
It costs $0. We do not charge for completing notes or forms, including disability tax credit forms, drivers medical forms, or medical assessments for long-term care or residential treatment.
Feel free to let us know when you know. We don’t have fees for not making appointments, or being late. If we notice you are missing appointments frequently, let’s talk! We want to understand the barriers you are facing how we can support you.
