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Oliver and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at South Okanagan General Hospital due to limited physician availability. Emergency services will be unavailable from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, November 23. Patients can access care at Penticton Regional Hospital during this time. All other inpatient services will continue as normal at South Okanagan General Hospital. People in the community who need life-threatening emergency care (i.e., chest pains, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding) should always call 911 for transport to the nearest available and appropriate facility.  Anyone unsure whether an emergency room visit is warranted can call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1, or visit www.HealthLinkBC.ca for non-emergency health information from nurses, dietitians and pharmacists 24 hours a day, seven days per week.

People in Rutland will see increased access to team-based health care with a new urgent and primary care centre (UPCC) and a community health centre (CHC). “People living in Rutland and surrounding communities will directly benefit from increased access to health-care services delivered through a new urgent and primary care centre and a new community health centre,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “Integrating physicians, nurses and allied health professionals means patients can receive timely and comprehensive team-based care. These two centres are examples of our continued work to increase access to primary care services.” The UPCC provides care for people with non-life-threatening conditions who need to see a health-care provider within 12 to 24 hours but do not require an emergency department, such as people with minor cuts or burns, headaches and minor infections. Additionally, the clinic will help attach more patients to ongoing team-based primary care services, including mental-health support. The UPCC will open in a phased approach. Until Nov. 29, operating hours will be 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. From Nov. 30 until Dec. 7, operating hours will expand until 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. From Dec. 8, the UPCC will be at full operating hours and open daily from 9:30 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. for urgent care needs, and Monday to Friday 9:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. for longitudinal care needs. “With the opening of Interior Health’s ninth urgent and primary care centre, we are demonstrating our commitment to connecting more patients with timely and comprehensive care,” said Susan Brown, president and CEO of Interior Health. “Residents of Rutland will have additional access to a team of expert health-care professionals who can address immediate health concerns and offer support for long-term health-care needs.” Once fully hired, a team of more than 33 full-time health-care staff will support Rutland UPCC, consisting of family physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, social workers, physiotherapists and a community health worker. Patients can see a diverse team of health-care providers similar to other UPCCs. Interior Health will operate the UPCC and collaborate with Central Okanagan Division of Family Practice to integrate the UPCC into Rutland and Lake Country Primary Care Network as part of the larger Central Okanagan Primary Care Network. Rutland UPCC is a collaboration between Interior Health, Ministry of Health, Central Okanagan Regional Hospital District, Central Okanagan Division of Family Practice and local Indigenous partners, including the Okanagan Nation Alliance. To support residents in Rutland and the surrounding communities, the Province provided the Okanagan Family Medicine and Community Health Centre Society $5.5 million in one-time and operational funding for the creation of a new CHC, which opened on Nov. 20, 2023. It will begin by focusing on providing women's health and other underserved populations in Rutland. Once fully operational, the CHC will be open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. and offer extended hours during evenings, weekends and holidays.  "The opening of Rutland CHC stands as a statement of support for marginalized communities in the Rutland area,” said Milt Stevenson, co-developer, Okanagan Community Health Society. “We look forward to providing a dedicated space which will ensure accessible care and inclusivity for underserved populations.” Community health centres are community-governed, not-for-profit organizations with services tailored to meet the health needs of the community they serve. The CHC would be governed and operated by Okanagan Family Medicine and Community Health Centre Society with support from Interior Health and Ministry of Health. Rutland is the 31st UPCC to be announced and opened under the government’s primary-care strategy. Of those, nine are in the Interior Health region. This includes Ashcroft, Castlegar, Cranbrook, Kamloops, Kelowna, Penticton, Rutland, Vernon and West Kelowna. As part of the Primary Care Strategy initiatives, Rutland CHC is the seventh to receive ongoing operational funding from the Province. These centres are part of the government’s ongoing work to enhance access to health-care services within local communities. It supports B.C.’s Health Human Resources Strategy announced on Sept. 29, 2022, which identifies 70 key actions to recruit, train and retain health-care workers. Quotes: Dr. Christine Hoppe, physician lead, Central Okanagan Division of Family Practice – “We look forward to working with Rutland UPCC through the Rutland and Lake Country Primary Care Network to improve patients’ access to primary care and minimizing barriers to care. Primary Care Networks in our region are a joint initiative between local Indigenous partners, Interior Health and Central Okanagan Division of Family Practice.” Loyal Wooldridge, chair of the Central Okanagan Regional Hospital District – “Rutland is one of the fastest-growing urban centres in Kelowna and the new UPCC is an important investment to meet the growing needs of the community. The regional hospital district is proud to be a funder and supporter of primary care in the region. While there is still much work to be done, this is a step in the right direction to improve access to vital health-care services for families, seniors and those without direct access to doctors.” Sherri Kensall, board chair, Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of B.C. – “Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of B.C. are pleased to see that the knowledge, skills and expertise of the health-care team will be utilized to improve access to health care for people in B.C. through urgent- and primary-care clinics. We believe that this approach will be pivotal in ensuring B.C. families can access health-care services and we are excited to see the opening of another urgent- and primary-care clinic in B.C.” Learn More: To learn about urgent- and primary-care centres, visit: https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/health-services/urgent-and-primary-care-centres To learn about B.C.’s Health Human Resources Strategy, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/BCHealthHumanResourcesStrategy-Sept2022.pdf To learn about the Province's primary health-care strategy, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2018PREM0034-001010 Read original release from BC Gov News

Please see the attached document to learn more about the look, contamination, and risk associated with the current drug alert.

Please see the attached document to learn more about the look, contamination, and risk associated with the current drug advisory.

Oliver and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at South Okanagan General Hospital due to limited physician availability. Emergency services will be unavailable from 4 p.m. Friday, November 10 to 8 a.m. Saturday, November 11. Patients can access care at Penticton Regional Hospital during this time. All other inpatient services will continue as normal at South Okanagan General Hospital. People in the community who need life-threatening emergency care (i.e., chest pains, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding) should always call 911 for transport to the nearest available and appropriate facility.  Anyone unsure whether an emergency room visit is warranted can call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1, or visit www.HealthLinkBC.ca for non-emergency health information from nurses, dietitians and pharmacists 24 hours a day, seven days per week.  The emergency department in Oliver is normally open 24/7.  

Immunization is the best way to lower rates of respiratory infection, such as influenza and COVID-19.   Booking your appointment for both vaccines is easier than ever this year. Invitations to book vaccine appointments are sent from the provincial Get Vaccinated system once you are eligible. These vaccines are free of charge and available at most pharmacies as well as some public health clinics and primary care providers.  The influenza vaccine is available to everyone six months and older annually. The recently updated COVID-19 vaccine can be provided at the same time. Those over six months of age are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine when it has been six months since their last COVID-19 vaccine.   Immunization is especially important for those at greatest risk from infection including children under five years of age, adults 65 years and older, pregnant people and those with some chronic conditions.   If you have not yet registered to receive invitations via SMS (text) or email, visit Get Vaccinated BC to register online. Registering online is the fastest option, but you can also register by phone (1-833-838-2323) or in person at a Service BC office.    Children under nine years of age receiving their first-ever influenza vaccine dose will need a second dose after four weeks. Those who have had it in previous years only require a single dose.  To learn more visit our Immunization & Vaccines section.

People living in the interior region will soon benefit from a new Centre for Health System Learning & Innovation (the Centre) that is being established in partnership with Interior Health and the Kelowna General Hospital (KGH) Foundation. This centre is becoming a reality today with a commitment from The Jim Pattison Foundation of $5 million to the KGH Foundation. “Today is a truly historic day for the future of health care in the communities we passionately serve across BC’s interior,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “This gift represents a transformational step forward in reimagining front-line patient care in Indigenous, rural and remote communities through innovation based on research done right here at home.” The Centre will be the first of its kind with a focus on rural, remote, Indigenous, and community health-care. It will primarily be a virtual network that connects innovators, clinical teams, researchers, patients and families, students, partners and investors to come together to discover and implement innovative health-care solutions for the diverse population of the Interior. Once established, the work of the Centre will aim to address health-care challenges facing communities through innovative, research-based solutions. “This generous donation marks the culmination of years of work, planning and consultation alongside our partners. It is the beginning of an exciting new chapter and a bold step forward into the future,” said Susan Brown, IH President & CEO. “In order to continue to innovate, re-think, and re-design care delivery to provide patients with the highest quality and most effective care possible, we need research that is planned, curated and delivered right here, in our own backyard. That is the vision of the Centre for Health System Learning & Innovation.” This landmark gift is the Pattison Foundation’s largest donation to a hospital in B.C.’s Interior and the first that targets innovation. Over the past three decades, Jim Pattison, the iconic B.C. business leader and prolific health-care philanthropist, has had a transformative impact through his gifts to major hospital infrastructure projects in the Lower Mainland. “While we have seen the shift in urban centres, such as Vancouver and Toronto, we are thrilled to have received such a significant gift specifically aimed at innovation in regional health-care," explained Allison Young, CEO of the KGH Foundation. “In recognizing the importance of this type of investment, the Pattison Foundation demonstrates invaluable leadership.” The gift adds to the KGH Foundation’s recently launched ‘Closer to home than you think’ campaign, a $40 million fundraising effort that promises to fund changes to local health-care in eight priority areas: cancer, cardiac, system innovation, women's health, bone and joint health, mental health, brain health and clinical excellence. Most notably, almost $15 million (40 per cent) of the campaign goal is dedicated specifically to innovation. “This is a very interesting and forward-thinking project,” said Clark Hollands, Chair of the Pattison Foundation. “We appreciate the opportunity and are excited to be a part of it.” The Centre will build on the tremendous momentum generated in recent years through the Interior Health Research Network, which started in 2014 with seven people and has now grown to 2,245 members including physicians, staff, clinicians, decision-makers, Aboriginal partners, community members and academics who connect in a variety of ways to discuss research and its application to health-care.   “The Centre will focus on health systems transformation, aiming at unique targets,” said Dr. Deanne Taylor, corporate director of research at Interior Health. “This includes advancing equity, accessibility, and the sustainability of health-care, and enabling physicians, clinicians and community care providers with resources to not only provide world-class care but to explore what an optimal system could look like.” “We face a suite of unique challenges in the interior - servicing dozens of rural and remote communities, navigating rugged geography and seasonal weather, and increasingly, responding to the impacts of extreme climate events such as forest fires and floods,” said Dr. Harris, Executive Medical Director, Quality and Research for Interior Health and an Emergency Physician at KGH. “This gift is remarkably visionary as it recognizes the need to address the challenges we face in healthcare differently.” Jim Pattison himself was unable to attend today’s event in person but shared the following comment of support, which was played at the announcement through a pre-recorded video: “I want to say how much we appreciate the opportunity to support the community of Kelowna and its surrounding areas. Congratulations, Kelowna General Hospital.” For more information on the campaign and fundraising goals, visit kghfoundation.com.

New Denver and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at Slocan Community Health Centre due to limited nursing availability.  Emergency services will be unavailable Tuesday, Oct. 31 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Patients can access care at Arrow Lakes Hospital at 97 - 1st Ave NE, Nakusp. People in the community who need life-threatening emergency care (i.e., chest pains, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding) should always call 911 for transport to the nearest available and appropriate facility.   Anyone unsure whether an emergency room visit is warranted can call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1, or visit www.HealthLinkBC.ca for non-emergency health information from nurses, dietitians and pharmacists 24 hours a day, seven days per week.   The emergency department in New Denver is normally open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week while Interior Health continues to recruit to fill positions to return to 24/7 operations.

New Denver and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at Slocan Community Health Centre due to limited nursing availability.  Emergency services will be unavailable Monday, Oct. 30 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Patients can access care at Arrow Lakes Hospital at 97 - 1st Ave NE, Nakusp. People in the community who need life-threatening emergency care (i.e., chest pains, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding) should always call 911 for transport to the nearest available and appropriate facility.   Anyone unsure whether an emergency room visit is warranted can call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1, or visit www.HealthLinkBC.ca for non-emergency health information from nurses, dietitians and pharmacists 24 hours a day, seven days per week.   The emergency department in New Denver is normally open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week while Interior Health continues to recruit to fill positions to return to 24/7 operations.