Medical Interpreting Services
Clear communication for better healthcare
Wavefront Centre’s Medical Interpreting Services (MIS), funded by BC’s Provincial Health Services Authority, connects patients and healthcare providers for accurate, stress-free communication.
Available for urgent and non-urgent appointments, MIS ensures better care, reduces miscommunication, and minimizes the need for repeat visits.
Non-urgent Medical Interpreting Services
Business hours, Monday to Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm PST.
Phone: 604-736-7012
Text: 604-505-9687
Fax: 604-736-7786
Toll Free in BC
Voice: 1-877-736-7012
Facetime: 604-505-9687
Email: mis@wavefrontcentre.ca
Urgent Medical Interpreting Services
After hours, Monday to Friday from 4:00 pm to 8:00 am PST. 24 hours on weekends.
These services are for Deaf clients and emergency responders – including police, fire, ambulance, and hospital staff – who need urgent access to an interpreter.
Voice: 604-736-7039
Text: 778-990-7391
Toll Free in BC
Voice: 1-877-736-7039
What is covered under Medical Interpreting Services?
Under the Medicare Protection Act and the Hospital Insurance Act, British Columbia residents who are Deaf, Deafened, DeafBlind or Hard of Hearing who use ASL can access a Registered Sign Language Interpreter, as well as a Deaf Interpreter, for most medical appointments and services.
MIS does not provide interpreting for appointments outside of medical needs. For interpreting services for non-medical appointments, please visit our Sign Language Interpreting page.
If you’re unsure whether the service you need is covered, contact us and we’ll be happy to assist.
Fees and cancellations
- If you are Deaf, Deafened, Deafblind, or Hard of Hearing and communicate in ASL, Medical Interpreting Services are provided at no cost to you and the medical professional for eligible services as listed above. Charges are covered by Provincial Language Services.
- If you need to cancel an appointment, cancellations must be received by MIS two business days before the scheduled appointment to avoid MIS charges to Provincial Language Services.
- There are no fees for appointments cancelled with at least 48 hours notice.
Intervenor services for medical situations
DeafBlind individuals in British Columbia may request intervenor services for medical appointments covered under the Medicare Protection Act and the Hospital Insurance Act.
Intervenors offer mobility assistance and communication support but do not provide interpreting services.
CART captioning services for medical situations
Provincial Language Services offers remote Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) during a medical appointment, but not both CART and ASL interpreting.
To use the service, contact Provincial Language Services directly at 1-877-288-2557
Read more on Wavefront Centre's blog
Wavefront Centre launches Access ASL pilot to expand communication accessibility
Vancouver Pioneer LEO Club raises $8,000 for communication accessibility
