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People will benefit from the major expansion at Penticton Regional Hospital as final renovations wrap up at the David E. Kampe Tower.  Read the full release

Interior Health (IH) is upgrading heart monitors across the region, improving patient access to important diagnostic testing, and enhancing timely access for physicians and nurse practitioners to these reports. A heart (or Holter) monitor is a diagnostic test that monitors cardiac rhythms via continuous electrocardiogram (ECG) tracing over 24 hours or more. This service is offered at 31 sites across IH. For patients, the brand new devices and system will prevent diagnostic cancellation or the need for diagnostics due to equipment issues. Sites can also share the workload to scan the Holter exams if one site has an unexpected increased volume, decreasing the time to get results. This project is the outcome of the collaborative efforts between IH and the Royal Inland Hospital (RIH) Foundation. The project came to fruition as a result of a generous estate gift from Bill and Catherina Humphrey. “Without the support of the RIH Foundation and the donors, this project to this extent would not have been possible,” said Interior Health vice president of clinical operations, Dr. Shallen Letwin. “We’re proud to be able to provide first-class cardiac care to people living across the Interior region.” “The Royal Inland Hospital Foundation is proud to take care of our big family at Interior Health. The impact of this legacy donation is greater than we could have ever wished for,” explained Heidi Coleman, CEO of the RIH Foundation. All sites in IH will be provided with new equipment to replace older monitors and scanning software. Phased out equipment still within its operational life will be donated to other areas in need. Implementation started in March and the rollout across IH will be complete in June. “As a physician, it’s convenient to be able to report Holter results from any computer,” said Dr. Shawn Pun of Kamloops. “This system has great potential to reduce current Holter reporting turnaround times, a huge benefit to both our patients and health-care providers.” Facts: Number of sites Scanning sites: 8 Remote sites: 24 Total number of devices purchased and distributed: 275 Holter monitors 25 remote licence keys 16 scanning licence keys

Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital emergency department nurses: Jane Carlton, Tamara Roscoe, Teresa Myers, and Emily Larochelle. Interior Health is making the opioid use disorder medication Suboxone widely available in its hospital emergency departments. Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a treatable medical condition. And, yet, many people living with OUD don’t have a regular care provider who can help connect them to medication. For many, their first exposure to treatment is through an emergency department (ED). Given the increasing number of toxic drug deaths across B.C. – 2,224 in 2021* – Interior Health’s Emergency Services and Mental Health and Substance Use networks partnered in June 2021 to connect people experiencing opioid use disorder with Suboxone in emergency departments. Suboxone is an Opioid Agonist Treatment (OAT) medication used to treat OUD. The project includes offering Suboxone “to-go packs” to start patients at home and a new urgent referral process to connect people to ongoing OAT in the community. “The toxic drug crisis continues to impact patients, families, and communities. We can be part of the solution to this ongoing public health emergency and hopefully prevent lives from being lost by providing OAT in the ED,” says Heather Hair, Interior Health emergency services network director. “Frontline health-care workers in emergency departments often see first-hand the impacts of addiction and toxic drug deaths. We are having conversations and building relationships with people who often have experienced stigma, and hopefully helping keep them from harm.” The Suboxone in the ED project has now been implemented at 20 hospitals across Interior Health, most recently in the South Okanagan in April, which resulted in a celebration of the enrolment of the 100th client in the program. In May, Suboxone in the ED is being introduced in hospitals throughout the Kootenay Boundary. All sites will be included by September 2022. Having Suboxone available in EDs has decreased barriers to accessing OAT in communities by providing front-line nurses and physicians with the necessary training to prescribe the treatment, and by helping educate patients on how to start it themselves at home. Feedback from both clinicians and patients has been overwhelmingly positive. Nurse Prescriber Laura Sherret, who works in Cranbrook, says when she first heard about the plan to implement Suboxone in the ED at East Kootenay Regional Hospital, she was excited – especially because access to OAT was otherwise fairly limited in the community. Since then, the program has surpassed her expectations. “The clients I have seen as a Nurse Prescriber who have succeeded in staying on Suboxone or transitioned to the long-acting injectable are doing very well,” says Laura. “They are reconnected to families, have jobs, and are managing life’s challenges in positive ways. Others have gone on to other OAT therapies that suit them better so they, too, can move forward. We continue to build relationships and trust with people and support them in their choices.” Laura also says she has seen an “amazing shift” in the ED staff she works with, because they have a better understanding of what Suboxone is and how it works. “They have a resource at their fingertips to help patients with opioid use disorder,” she says. “They can initiate Suboxone in the ED if the person is in sufficient withdrawal, or discharge the person with a To-Go Pack to start at home. The relative safety of Suboxone and its ability to relieve withdrawal symptoms quickly makes it a good option for people who live with opioid use disorder. “It is now considered the gold standard of care, and that care is being provided right here in the ED at East Kootenay Regional Hospital.” Learn more: Check out the video about Suboxone in the ED. To learn more about OAT visit interiorhealth.ca. *BC Coroner's Service Drug Toxicity Report Feb. 2022

Clearwater and area residents are advised of a temporary change to the emergency department hours at Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital this evening and overnight due to unforeseen limited staffing availability. The emergency department will be closed: 4 p.m. May 15 to 7 a.m. May 16 Interior Health regrets this temporary change to normal operations and reminds residents to take note of the following if they require care while the emergency department is closed: In the event of an emergency, call 9-1-1 Visit the emergency department at one of the following facilities: Royal Inland Hospital – 311 Columbia Street, Kamloops Call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1 (24-hour service) if you are unsure of your need to seek emergency care The emergency department in Clearwater is normally open 24/7. - 30 -

Clearwater and area residents are advised of a temporary change to the emergency department hours at Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital overnight due to unforeseen limited staffing availability. The emergency department will be closed: 11 p.m. May 14 to 7 a.m. May 15 Interior Health regrets this temporary change to normal operations and reminds residents to take note of the following if they require care while the emergency department is closed: In the event of an emergency, call 9-1-1 Visit the emergency department at one of the following facilities: Royal Inland Hospital – 311 Columbia Street, Kamloops Call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1 (24-hour service) if you are unsure of your need to seek emergency care The emergency department in Clearwater is normally open 24/7. - 30 -

Interior Health has taken an innovative approach to exploring climate change by creating Community Health and Climate Change maps. “Recent events have demonstrated the importance of planning and preparing for natural disasters associated with climate change,” says Interior Health president and CEO, Susan Brown. “These new Community Health and Climate Change maps will support the safety and wellbeing of people living across the region and we encourage everyone to take the opportunity now to plan for the effects of climate change.” The Community Health and Climate Change maps will help governments and partners in their municipal planning by helping them understand climate-sensitive areas that could impact their building or expansion projects. The maps, created by Interior Health’s Healthy Communities program, focuses on four commonly experienced climate-related hazards in B.C.: High Temperatures Low Temperatures Flooding Wildfire Smoke Maps have also been developed separately for each of the regional districts within Interior Health to help local leaders understand the impact of climate change. For help navigating the maps, please refer to this guide. “The maps show the communities that are most vulnerable to different climate hazards and allow us to focus our efforts and work together to plan and prepare,” says Dr. Sue Pollock, Chief Medical Health Officer. “For example, the maps show communities that may be more affected by heat; this information helps us identify appropriate actions that communities can take in order to keep people healthy and safe.” The Community Health and Climate Change maps are a snapshot in time that project risks and probability related to weather-related events in the Interior. They support affected communities through readiness and planning, and build resilience through scenario-based planning for mitigation, and natural disaster support for communities. The maps will not only help with city planning, but can also effectively define resource allocation during natural disasters. The maps will also be used to deepen collaboration with Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities as we work towards the common goal of supporting healthy communities as our climate changes. To learn more, visit Interior Health’s climate resiliency & planning webpage.

Expectant parents will benefit from improved access to comprehensive pregnancy care at the new Encompass Pregnancy Care clinic, which opened in March in Interior Health’s  Urgent and Primary Care Centre in Cranbrook, located in the Baker Street Professional Centre at 1311 2nd St. The clinic is supported by eight Cranbrook-based maternity physicians and staffed with an experienced pregnancy care nurse. Encompass Pregnancy Care was created to be a non-judgemental, inclusive, and culturally safe space in which all patients feel heard, at-ease, and supported.  “We’re a group of local physicians working together to provide all-encompassing, high-quality and standardized medical and supportive care to pregnant patients,” said Dr. Madeline Oosthuizen, Family Physician (FP) and Encompass clinic physician. “Parents will have the opportunity to get to know each member of our physician team, will meet directly each visit with our clinic maternity nurse, who is a wealth of information, and will be connected with other community resources and health services specific to pre and postnatal care.” Encompass Pregnancy Care is part of the East Kootenay Primary Care Network (PCN), a network of team-based care providers in the region. By being part of the primary care network and located in the Urgent & Primary Care Centre, parents attending Encompass Pregnancy will have one-stop access to team-based care, such as mental wellness clinicians, physiotherapists, social workers, and more. “We are excited to welcome Encompass Pregnancy Care as part of our urgent care team. The Primary Care Network partnership between Interior Health, Ktunaxa Nation and the East Kootenay Division of Family Practice has made it possible to expand services available to people in Cranbrook and Kimberley,” said Shannon Statham, Interior Health’s primary care lead for the East Kootenay. “With team-based care, patients can see the most appropriate health-care professional to treat their needs. We are proud to welcome new parents to the centre.” Encompass Pregnancy Care services include: Pre and postnatal care Labour and delivery in the East Kootenay Regional Hospital Early pregnancy loss support and management Pre-conception counselling Contraception options Family planning Lactation support The Encompass Pregnancy Care clinic is accepting new patients from Cranbrook and surrounding communities. If you would like pregnancy care, please phone the Urgent and Primary Care Centre to make an appointment: (250) 420-2323. Urgent and Primary Care Centres supports people who are experiencing non-life-threatening conditions such as an ankle sprain and need to see a health-care provider within 12 to 24 hours, but do not require an emergency department visit. Health-care professionals working in the facility operate in a team-based care environment where patients are connected with the practitioner who can best provide care for their injury or illness. The Cranbrook UPCC is a collaboration between Interior Health, the Ministry of Health, the Kootenay East Regional Hospital District, the East Kootenay Division of Family Practice and the Ktunaxa Nation.

Interior Health would like to inform people in Trail and the surrounding area of an upcoming temporary change to access Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital (KBRH). As part of the ongoing redevelopment of KBRH, upgrades are taking place to the hospital’s heating, ventilation, air conditioning and electrical systems. As a result of this work, the hospital’s main corridor will be closed to foot traffic from May 14 to 30. During this period, all staff, physicians, patients and visitors will be redirected to use the second floor corridor. Signage will be posted at the hospital to provide directions and elevators will be available for use.   The current phase of the KBRH redevelopment project includes construction of new ambulatory care clinical space and an expanded pharmacy. Renovations are also underway to KBRH’s oncology and physiotherapy departments and its cast clinic. The renovations are part of significant investments in the Trail hospital. A new ambulatory care procedure unit is complete and opened in September 2021, while a new health information management department opened in July 2021. A new emergency department opened in September 2020.

Clearwater and area residents are advised of a temporary change to the emergency department hours at Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital this afternoon and overnight due to unforeseen limited staffing availability.   The emergency department will be closed:   3 p.m. May 10 to 7 a.m. May 11   Interior Health regrets this temporary change to normal operations and reminds residents to take note of the following if they require care while the emergency department is closed:   In the event of an emergency, call 911. Visit the emergency department at one of the following facilities: Royal Inland Hospital – 311 Columbia Street, Kamloops Call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1 (24 hour service) if you are unsure of your need to seek emergency care.   The emergency department in Clearwater is normally open 24/7.   - 30 -