The University of British Columbia officially opened the MacIsaac Health Building, housing the province’s first team-based teaching clinic designed to provide primary care for up to 4,450 patients while training future medical professionals. Funded by a $40 million philanthropic gift from Matthew and Natalie MacIsaac, the facility integrates licensed health professionals and students from nine distinct disciplines under one roof.
UBC Opens British Columbia’s First Team-Based Teaching Health Clinic Funded by $40M Gift
Inside the MacIsaac Health Building Care Model
The newly opened facility utilizes a collaborative care model intended to address complex patient conditions that exceed the scope of a single discipline. According to Dr. Julie Tipping, program director and assistant professor of teaching in the MacIsaac School of Nursing, the setup allows students to deliver care in a real clinical setting where they learn the boundaries and overlaps of multidisciplinary practice. The clinical team combines family physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, dietitians, exercise physiologists, occupational therapists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, and social workers.
Funding, Provincial Support, and Future Expansion
The $40 million donation from the MacIsaac family represents the largest contribution ever made to a Canadian school of nursing, directly supporting nursing education, research, and clinical learning alongside the primary care clinic. UBC President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon noted that the building reflects the university’s vision for integrated health education and research. The province of British Columbia also provides ongoing support for the clinic's daily operations, staffing, and program development. University organizers intend for the hub to function as a test site for care and education models that can eventually be deployed to other clinical settings across the province.
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