Shipyards Health
Integrative medicine,
Functional medicine
and aesthetics
Located in North Vancouver’s Shipyards District,
Shipyards Health is a clinic which hosts local practitioners specializing in integrative and functional medicine to deliver personalized health plans.
In 2014, Shipyards Health was established in the vibrant and historic neighborhood of Lower Lonsdale inside the heritage Aberdeen Block. Shipyards Health is modernly equipped with the latest technologies while at the same time devoted to appreciation of the preservation of historical heritage.
a brief history
Situated just above the shoreline of the Burrard Inlet, Lower Lonsdale was bustling with activity at the turn of the last century with the introduction of a cross-inlet ferry service and a booming shipyard industry.
The Shipyards District, also known as Lower Lonsdale, is the North Vancouver oldest neighborhood and the heart of the Lonsdale Avenue.
By 1900, the North Vancouver—the first in a five-ferry fleet, began running back and forth from Vancouver to the foot of Lonsdale on a regular basis. A couple years later, Alfred St. George Hamersley, one-time solicitor for the City of North Vancouver, purchased and subdivided District Lot 274 which resulted in the rapid development of the Lower Lonsdale area. Soon after the acquisition, the housing market opened up in the area and by late 1903 land was being sold and more lots were being cleared.
The population influx in the area led to the beginnings of a small, commercial sector in Lower Lonsdale. Read more
Shipyards Health Clinic combines over 25 years of combined naturopathic medical experience in the treatment of people of any age and with all degrees
of medical concerns.
Focused on personalized integrative medicine using a combination of dietary, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical options, along with acupuncture, intravenous and injection services we combine a broad scope of expertise in many different medical disciplines.
Our doctors bring their expertise practicing true integrative approach to treatment and with all this combined knowledge, there is no health concern
that we can’t tackle!
Our story
In North Vancouver in 2014 Jolene was part of a startup team purchasing real estate in Lower Lonsdale with the vision of creating a space for a clinic and pharmacy in one location. From 2014 through current, Shipyards Health has been home to naturopathic doctors and a full service compounding pharmacy. But fast forward to 2021 and Jolene, now full owner and operator of Shipyards Health, had a vision of taking this endeavor one step further to work on helping to solve a problem brewing in BC healthcare. Jolene needed to evolve her business to solve this problem. It wasn’t easy. Hurdles in her face ranging from costly operational expenses, the fee-for service medical doctor model, a dwindling supply of admin support applicants and the general relationship between MD’s and ND’s made for a difficult mountain to climb.
Luckily Jolene had mentors and helpers. With one of her best friends Marijana, they brainstormed all through 2021 on their weekly “self care Tuesday” hikes around the Lower Mainland. Jolene recalls some of the most foundational points coming out on their walks around Buntzen Lake. Jolene’s husband Eric was a tsunami of encouragement and project management guidance. Marijana and her husband Zoran with their company MZ Innovations used the funds available through the BC government Launch Online Grant to plug endless hours of coding and web design to create a seamless practitioner experience. Another player here was Margot, Jolene’s long time support staff, who introduced Jolene to Dr Sofia Bayfield MD – Shipyards Health’s first family doctor. And last but not least, Tania, Jolene’s full time admin staff, returned from maternity leave in June 2022 to take on a huge learning curve, and did so with commitment and excitement, in order to learn the roles and procedures for an official MOA in supporting medical doctors. A dream team had come together and a solution was in the works so that our community MD’s and patients could reap the benefits.
With high overhead costs in the province MD’s are seeking early retirement, closing their practices or moving to walk-in clinics and telemedicine, or opting for specialites away from Family Medicine. Family doctors are tired of running a business and can no longer afford to work with escalating overhead costs. Doctors in BC have a fee for service model which is limiting their salaries in the face of escalating costs of practicing. On the other side of that, millions of BC residents need to see their doctors in person for many medical concerns. The lines are not meeting in the middle.
In the summer of 2022 SYH welcomed its first MD providing her an affordable option to keep her family practice ignited for our community. We are so excited to be a part of the solution in improving retention of healthcare and allied health care providers in and for our community. We are also proud to be a landing site for patients in our community providing team based care with our naturopathic doctor and pharmacy also on premise. Pure Pharmacy adds another dimension to our team based patient care. The pharmacists at the location along with the holistic health advisors aid patients in answering their questions about treatments, side effects, interactions, immunizations and more. Collaboration is key and it is all for the health benefit of our cherished community.
Today Shipyards Health is more successful because it acknowledges the struggles of family practice and finds a patient friendly and pocket friendly solution to keep them serving medical family care to our community. Jolene is so excited that after taking a few breaths you will see her re-igniting her dream team to expand this brand to other communities in BC. Stay tuned – this story is to be continued …
With love,
Jolene & The team at Shipyards Health