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 emergency and non-emergency appointments, MIS ensures better care, reduces miscommunication, and minimizes the need for repeat visits.
Non-urgent Medical Interpreting Services
Business hours from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm PST.
Phone: 604-736-7012
Text: 778-995-7391
Fax: 604-736-7786
Toll Free in BC
Voice: 1-877-736-7012
Facetime: mis@wavefrontcentre.ca
Email: mis@wavefrontcentre.ca
Emergency Medical Interpreting Services
After hours from 4:00 pm to 8:00 am PST.
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
Contact us
Book a Medical Interpreter
MIS strives to meet all medical interpreting needs. To ensure an interpreter is available, please provide as much notice as possible when booking.
If your appointment is work-related (WorkSafe BC) or due to a car accident (ICBC), inform the dispatcher when scheduling.
MIS only provides medical interpreting – visit our Sign Language Interpreting page for non-medical requests.
Use the form to book an interpreter, and we’ll confirm your request. You can also call us using the details listed below.
Phone: 604-736-7012
Text: 778-995-7391
Fax: 604-736-7786
Toll Free in BC
Voice: 1-877-736-7012
Facetime: mis@wavefrontcentre.ca
Email: mis@wavefrontcentre.ca
Have an emergency? Please contact Emergency Medical Interpreting Services.
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