Dr. Kevin Sclater, MD
Palliative Care Physician
Dr. Kevin Sclater, MD
is a family doctor with specialist certification in palliative care. He grew up in Coquitlam, studied sciences at UBC, then graduated from medical school at the University of Calgary in 1990. Upon completion of an internship at Royal Columbian Hospital in 1991, he took over a thriving family practice in Port Coquitlam where he continues to enjoy this work. Dr. Sclater has also worked as a palliative care physician for more than 25 years. He is certified by the College of Family Physicians of Canada with an “added competency in palliative care” and was previously granted certification by the American Board of Hospice & Palliative Medicine. His primary palliative care role for 19 years was as an attending doctor at Crossroads Hospice in Port Moody. He has also provided palliative care services in hospital and community settings as a consultant doctor and continues to provide some after-hours support for hospice and community clients within Fraser Health.
Who benefits from palliative care? A palliative care consultation is recommended soon after a serious illness is diagnosed so that a whole-person approach (physical-emotional-spiritual) can be applied to the treatment of the cancer or disease process. Palliative care is about how to LIVE with a serious illness … it’s not just about planning for the end. Palliative care doctors are also consulted to help treat the more difficult symptoms that can sometimes be associated with advanced cancer and cancer-related therapies.
Dr. Sclater will be working on Tuesdays at the White Rock location starting in January 2024. When patients are referred by their family doctor (or nurse practitioner), the consultation fee is covered by MSP (Medical Services Plan of BC). Dr. Sclater has developed an increasing interest in naturopathic treatments over the past few years and has increasingly adopted more of these therapies into his family practice. He now looks forward to joining the IHC team, collaborating with the naturopathic doctors, learning more about integrative oncology, and providing an extra layer of support for patients and families who are facing the challenges of a serious cancer diagnosis.
