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Merritt and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at Nicola Valley Hospital due to limited nursing availability. From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday, April 9, emergency services will be unavailable and patients can access care at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops. During this time, all other inpatient services will continue as normal at Nicola Valley 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 Merritt is normally open 24/7.

Submitted by: Danielle Cameron, executive director, clinical operations community for Central Okanagan, Interior Health & Dr. Silvina Mema, medical health officer, Interior Health Low-barrier services within reach of vulnerable people have never been more important than in the current toxic drug crisis. Interior Health’s Outreach Urban Health (OUH) clinic serves some of the most vulnerable members of our community. These include individuals experiencing homelessness, people with mental health or substance use challenges, as well as people without access to traditional health-care services, such as new immigrants to Canada. In March 2021, OUH relocated from across Leon Avenue to its new location at 1649 Pandosy St. In the new, larger space, the clinic brings together overdose prevention, mental health, substance use, and primary care under one roof, improving continuity of care and clients’ ability to navigate health services. Being downtown and within walking distance to other agencies allows clients easy access to health services. Since opening, OUH has provided medical and preventive services that meet the specific needs of the downtown population and the BC Quality Council has recognized OUH for its work to strengthen health and wellness among the population it serves. The COVID-19 pandemic and toxic drug emergency have disproportionately impacted marginalized and racialized populations resulting in unintended socio economic and health impacts. In the past few years, the number of individuals experiencing homelessness in B.C. increased, with 11.5 per cent more people reporting homelessness in 2021 compared to 2018. As one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in Canada in 2021, Kelowna has seen a rapid increase in its population and escalating demand of health, shelter and social services. Regrettably, the number of individuals experiencing homelessness has increased as well, exacerbating negative perceptions, stigma, and discrimination towards people living with a mental illness or substance use disorder and experiences of poverty. While the efforts of many groups to address current challenges have been tremendous, more work is needed to respond to the growing needs for adequate and safe space. Too many people have simply nowhere to go and as such congregate on the streets, including the area around OUH. Interior Health shares the concerns about issues related to congregation of individuals on the sidewalks. Tackling homelessness requires work in partnership to address the social determinants of health where homelessness is rooted.   In the meantime, Interior Health is committed to being a good neighbour and will continue to work closely with the City of Kelowna, the RCMP, and other partners to mitigate impacts of congregation on the street.

Oliver and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at South Okanagan General Hospital (SOGH) due to unexpected limited physician availability. From 10 p.m. tonight, Wednesday, March 29 to 8 a.m. Thursday, March 30, emergency services will be unavailable and 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.

Oliver and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at South Okanagan General Hospital (SOGH) due to unexpected limited physician availability. From 10 p.m. tonight, Saturday, March 25 to 8 a.m. Sunday, March 26, emergency services will be unavailable and 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.

More people in Rutland and surrounding Kelowna neighbourhoods will soon have increased access to team-based, everyday health care with a new urgent and primary care centre (UPCC), opening in fall 2023 at 150 Hwy. 33 W. “By investing in the development of a new urgent and primary health-care centre in Kelowna, we are demonstrating our commitment to connecting more patients with timely and comprehensive care,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “In the near future, the residents of Kelowna and surrounding communities will benefit from much-needed increased access to primary-care services.” It is anticipated that the health-care team will include 31.3 full-time-equivalent jobs, including family doctors, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers, physiotherapists and life-skills workers. Patients will be seen by the team of health-care providers and will be able to self-refer to the UPCC for care. The centre will serve two purposes. The first is to provide urgent primary-care services to people living in the community who need to see a health-care provider within 12 to 24 hours, but do not require going to the emergency department, such as patients with sprains, cuts, high fevers and minor infections. Starting in fall 2023, care will be available from 9:30 a.m. until 8:30 p.m., seven days a week. The second purpose is to help attach more patients to the clinic to provide ongoing team-based primary-care services, including mental health. “This new facility will make it easier for more residents to access the health-care services they need in our community,” said Harwinder Sandhu, Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors’ Services and Long-Term Care. “We are committed to keeping up the hard work of building out capacity, so our health-care system continues to become stronger.”  Interior Health will operate the UPCC and collaborate with the Central Okanagan Division of Family Practice to integrate the UPCC into the Rutland/Lake Country Primary Care Network, as part of the larger Central Okanagan Primary Care Network. With the opening of the Rutland UPCC, there will be 32 UPCCs operating in the province, with nine in the Interior Health region. The other UPCCs in the region are Vernon, Kamloops, Kelowna, Castlegar, West Kelowna, Cranbrook, Penticton and Ashcroft. In addition to this new urgent primary-care centre, a community health centre (CHC) for Rutland is under development through a partnership between the Okanagan Family Medicine and Community Health Centre Society, Central Okanagan Primary Care Network and the Ministry of Health in order to provide improved access to team-based, longitudinal primary-care services. Community health centres are community-governed, not-for-profit organizations with services tailored to meet the health needs of the community they serve. The community health centre would be governed and operated by Okanagan Family Medicine and Community Health Centre Society, with support from Interior Health and the Ministry of Health. Like the Rutland UPCC, the proposed Rutland CHC would be part of the Central Okanagan Primary Care Network. More details about the community health centre will be provided in the weeks ahead. This is a part of government’s ongoing work to make it easier for people to access health-care services. In August 2022, in partnership with Doctors of BC, the Province announced $118 million for family doctors to help patients get continued care. In October 2022, the Province announced a new physician master agreement and compensation model as a part of B.C.’s health human resource strategy. Quotes: Susan Brown, president and CEO, Interior Health Authority – “Interior Health is committed to its vision of health and well-being for all, and these new services mean more people will have access to an expert team of health-care professionals to support their immediate health concerns, but also their long-term health-care needs. And we know when primary-care services are available, it strengthens the entire health network, from primary to acute care services, which ultimately improves health outcomes for all.” Loyal Wooldridge, chair, Central Okanagan Regional Hospital District – “This new urgent and primary-care centre will provide much needed health-care services in the fast-growing urban centre of Rutland and is a welcomed step forward in building a healthier Kelowna. The regional hospital district fully supports every effort to elevate health services closer to where residents live. We are so pleased to see that the Province is continuing to invest in facilities to keep up with growth here, and we look forward to realizing positive results in the fastest-growing community in Canada.” Dr. Christine Hoppe, physician lead, Central Okanagan Division of Family Practice –  “The past year has been particularly difficult, with multiple Rutland family doctors closing their practices. With a community health centre and an urgent and primary-care centre opening in Rutland in the months ahead, Rutland residents will have better access to much-needed health care in their own community.” Alix Arndt, CEO, Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of BC –  “Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of BC is pleased to see that the knowledge, skills and expertise of the entire health-care team will be utilized to improve access to health care for all British Columbians 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: Learn about the Province’s primary health-care strategy Learn about the Province’s strategy to increase the number of nurse practitioners Learn about the Province’s strategy to recruit and retain more family medicine graduates A backgrounder follows.

Merritt and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at Nicola Valley Hospital due to a physician vacancy from 7 a.m. Monday, March 13 to 8 a.m. on Tuesday, March 14. Emergency services will be unavailable and patients can access care at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops. Emergency department services will be available again in Merritt at 8 a.m. Tuesday, March 14. During this time, all other inpatient services will continue as normal at Nicola Valley 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 Merritt is normally open 24/7.

Merritt and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at Nicola Valley Hospital due to a physician vacancy from 8 a.m. Friday, March 10 to 8 a.m. on Saturday, March 11. Emergency services will be unavailable and patients can access care at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops. Emergency department services will be available again in Merritt at 8 a.m. Saturday, March 11. During this time, all other inpatient services will continue as normal at Nicola Valley Hospital. People in the community who need life-threatening emergency care (i.e., chest pains, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding) should always call 9-1-1 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 Merritt is normally open 24/7.  

Four teens have won Interior Health’s Take a Breath: Teen Voices on Tobacco and Vaping poster contest. Each winner will receive a $150 gift card of their choice. The winning posters are being professionally printed, displayed in hospitals and health centres, and shared with schools throughout the region. “We want to thank everyone who took the time to submit an entry for this poster contest to help raise awareness and help people make informed decisions on this important health topic,” says Interior Health medical health officer Dr. Fatemeh Sabet. “Smoking tobacco and vaping have significant, proven negative impacts on our health. These posters by youth for youth provide important information about the health risks, and differences between commercial and traditional tobacco use.”  Youth in grades 8 to 12 living in the Interior Health region were invited to participate in the poster contest. Posters were individually evaluated and scored by youth judges from McCreary Centre Society against a list of criteria. Contestant names were kept anonymous from judges. The winning posters were the ones that received the highest scores. This group of young people also collaborated in designing the contest and the evaluation criteria. They each received an honorarium for their efforts. Fourteen-year-old Salmo resident Ruby was one of the winning artists. “I feel as though it is a real issue in modern day teen life and can be extremely addictive no matter who you are,” Ruby says. “There are so many disadvantages to smoking and vaping and it can be harmful to everyone's life and body. It is ultimately your decision what you decide to do with your life, but don't recommend vaping/smoking to anyone, even if you believe it'll boost your popularity or confidence.” Kailyn, 13, from Kitchener, a small community near Creston focused their poster on the importance of ceremonial tobacco for Indigenous traditions and how it differs from every day tobacco use. Kailyn says, “Please don't start because it's hard to stop and bad for your health,” regarding commercial tobacco use and vaping. Other winners include Charzhindawa (Chacha), 15, from Greenwood and Lukas, 14, also from Salmo.  Twelve-year-old artist Elizabeth from Kelowna received an honourable mention. She says: “It sucks to see people younger and older than me smoke and vape. I don't understand why people do this to themselves.”  The contest opened October 2022. Interior Health received a total of 18 submissions, and two did not meet the contest criteria. As such, there were 16 eligible posters in the contest. To view all winning posters, learn more about the poster contest, and find tobacco and vaping information for teens, visit interiorhealth.ca.  

Interior Health is urging people to be prepared and extremely cautious in the backcountry, with continued high and considerable avalanche danger forecasted in many areas of the B.C Interior. “Being caught in an avalanche is a life-threatening situation that has already claimed twelve lives in the Interior Health region this season,” said Dr. Fatemeh Sabet, medical health officer, Interior Health. “Avalanche Canada continues to forecast a dangerous snowpack. There have been more than double the number of avalanche fatalities compared to the previous season and we are only halfway through the season. We urge everyone thinking of venturing into the backcountry to check www.avalanche.ca and make conservative choices, avoid dangerous terrain, and consider delaying a backcountry trip until conditions are safer.” Avalanche Canada continues to monitor a deep, persistent slab avalanche problem for many areas across the Interior of B.C. This is causing very dangerous and highly unpredictable avalanche conditions. Avalanche Canada continues to encourage people to stay away from steep slopes and terrain, and to check: www.avalanche.ca for avalanche conditions and forecasts. “We are dealing with a complex and very tricky snowpack. A widespread weak layer exists near the base of the snowpack throughout the Interior and it’s been the cause of most of the fatal avalanche incidents this season,” said Ryan Buhler, forecast program supervisor, Avalanche Canada. “This layer is deep enough that we are unlikely to see clues of instability, like nearby avalanche activity, ‘whumpfing’ or cracking snow. The only way to minimize exposure is to select low angle, low consequence terrain and avoid areas where an avalanche could propagate widely. It’s likely that this widespread weak layer will persist for the remainder of the season.” Buhler added, “With sunny weather in the forecast, we are expecting the snowpack to become even less stable. We know sunny weather can create a false sense of security and lure people out into avalanche terrain, even though unstable conditions exist. Even 30 minutes of sun can have a significant impact on the snowpack at this time of year. ” Avalanche Canada urges backcountry users to exercise caution and make conservative, low-consequence choices if they decide to travel in avalanche terrain. Backcountry users should always check the avalanche forecast at: www.avalanche.ca/en/map and carry a transceiver, probe and shovel, and be trained to use them. Dr. Fatemeh Sabet, Interior Health Medical Health Office speaks about avalanche safety: Audio Clip 1 Audio Clip 2 Avalanche Canada expects these conditions to last for the remainder of the winter season in many areas and potentially into the summer season. They advise using extreme caution if venturing into the backcountry. Advice from Avalanche Canada: Avoid steep, shallow and rocky terrain features where the snowpack transitions from thick to thin. Everyone in a backcountry party needs the essential gear, such as a transceiver, shovel and probe, and the training to use them. Adopt a cautious mindset when in avalanche terrain. Be diligent about terrain choices. Sticking to slope angles of less than 30 degrees when in clearings, open trees and alpine terrain can help minimize risk. Slopes that previously avalanched this season have the capacity to produce additional large avalanches when reloaded with new snow. This means that knowing that a slope already had an avalanche on it does not mean that the slope is safe. Follow disciplined group decision-making, ensuring that each group member is engaged in terrain selection. Minimize exposure to overhead hazards, given that these avalanches can be remotely triggered and travel far in runout zones. Travel one at a time when exposed to avalanche terrain and regroup in safe spots well away from overhead hazards. Avoid exposure to terrain traps, such as gullies, cliffs and trees, to reduce the risk of being caught in an avalanche. Practise patience, avoid complacency and accept that you may need to manage this risk for weeks or months to come. Quick facts: During the past 10 years, approximately 73% of all Canadian avalanche fatalities have occurred in B.C. Approximately 85% of Avalanche Canada’s services are delivered in this province. Learn more: Avalanche Canada’s website PreparedBC’s avalanche safety guidance