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Interior Health is adding 17 new positions this spring to continue expanding mental health and substance use supports for people in Kamloops and the surrounding area. “People throughout the Kamloops area will benefit from this major expansion of mental health and substance-use services,” said Sheila Malcolmson, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. “Our government is transforming mental health and substance-use care in every B.C. community, and building a system of care that did not exist five years ago.” These new positions will support a variety of mental health and substance use programs including early psychosis intervention; substance use connections for youth; youth day treatment; and youth intensive case management. In addition to expanding existing services, Interior Health is introducing new substance use counselling and treatment for young people. “We are committed to strengthening the delivery of primary care, mental health, and substance use services in Kamloops,” said Interior Health president and CEO, Susan Brown. “Expanding these services is a vital part of our response to the toxic drug crisis and further supports the range of mental health and addictions care available in Kamloops.” Planning is underway to bring services already provided throughout the community, including primary care, together under one roof. Consolidating these primary care services with some mental health and substance use programs at IH’s 235 Lansdowne Street location will provide a better experience for patients, clients and care providers. Over time, the mobile supervised consumption vehicle will be decommissioned and its services will transition to this clinic allowing for enhanced connections between clients and care teams. “Research shows the integration of nursing, primary care and substance use treatment programs leads to better health outcomes for people who could benefit from supervised consumption services,” said Interior Health medical health office, Dr. Carol Fenton. The introduction of new and expanded supports, including the relocation of services, will occur over time as renovations and recruitment occurs.   Learn more: To learn more about primary care and mental health and substance use services in Interior Health visit interiorhealth.ca. To learn about the BC Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions vision for a comprehensive mental health and substance use system of care read A Pathway to Hope.

Interior Health is pleased to report that a new radiology room is being well used by people in Chase and the surrounding area since opening earlier this year.     After opening to patients on Jan. 31, 2022, the new machine has produced more than 350 patient exams with some patients needing more than one X-ray per visit.     A $620,000 capital investment in the Chase and District Health Centre resulted in the renovation of the radiology room and installation of a new Siemens X-ray machine, featuring the latest technology that allows for quicker imaging.     As part of the project, the health centre received a complete electrical upgrade.     “This new machine is making a big difference in the care we are providing in Chase,” said Interior Health president and CEO, Susan Brown. “People in Chase and the surrounding areas no longer have to travel to receive an X-ray. The new equipment is providing a more reliable service and has enhanced working conditions for our health-care team.”     The radiology room provides a comfortable and modern healing environment and supports a safe work place with an ergonomic work station.     Stories@IH: New X-Ray machine benefits Chase and surrounding communities     The Chase Health Centre serves some 3,000 people in the community of Chase and the surrounding region.

People in Kamloops and throughout the Thompson, Cariboo and Shuswap regions are closer to improved access to health-care services as the construction phase completes for the Phil & Jennie Gaglardi Tower at Royal Inland Hospital (RIH). View the full release

Interior Health is temporarily closing the inpatient unit at the Boundary District Hospital (BDH) due to significant staffing challenges. “This difficult decision was made in order to maintain safe patient care,” said Interior Health president and CEO, Susan Brown. “Our priority is to re-open these beds in Grand Forks as quickly as it is safe to do so and we are actively recruiting to stabilize staffing at the Boundary District Hospital.” Remaining staff will support the emergency department so it can remain open 24/7. Anyone requiring emergency care should visit BDH and if a patient requires hospital admission, they will be transferred to hospitals in nearby communities. Current nursing vacancies are the result of former staff moving to alternate positions outside of Grand Forks and/or taking temporary leaves. Interior Health aims to recruit five RN positions in order to reopen the temporarily closed unit. Interior Health continues to offer incentives to help recruit new health-care employees to the Grand Forks area. Some incentives available include: Relocation Assistance - Qualified candidates for permanent and temporary placements may be eligible for financial relocation assistance to help with the move. Rural Retention Grant – Registered Nurses who have made an employment commitment to fill positions in hard-to-fill locations in the Interior’s rural and remote communities, including Grand Forks, may be eligible for the Rural Retention Grant. C. Loan Forgiveness Program – Recent graduates in select in-demand occupations can have their B.C. student loans forgiven by agreeing to work in communities, such as Grand Forks. Check out the program details to see who is eligible. Interior Health is currently recruiting for a variety of positions in Grand Forks including: emergency nurses, registered nurses (medical), rural and remote mental health and substance use staff, long-term care nurses (RN/RPN), medical lab technologists, and community care licensed practical nurses. For more information on available opportunities, please visit our career site.

Last year, Interior Health welcomed 6,136 newborns in our hospitals, an increase of 489 births or a nine per cent increase over 2020. “Interior Health is happily welcoming our tiniest patients to the world as communities grow throughout the region,” said Interior Health president and CEO, Susan Brown. “I would like to congratulate all of the families who welcomed newborns last year and thank our dedicated maternity teams for ensuring the highest quality of care for these little ones and their families.” Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital in Trail saw the largest percentage increase with a 30 per cent increase in births compared to 2020. Kelowna General Hospital saw the largest increase in births with 197 more babies being born in 2021 compared to the previous year. In 2021, Interior Health saw an average of 511 births per month, while in 2020, the average was 471 births per month. IH Hospital 2020 2021 # Change % Change Cariboo Memorial Hospital 299 296 -3 -1% Creston Valley Hospital 53 50 -3 -6% East Kootenay Regional Hospital 391 409 18 5% Elk Valley Hospital 117 119 2 2% Golden & District Hospital 58 58 0 0% Invermere & District Hospital 13 15 2 15% Kelowna General Hospital 1,611 1,808 197 12% Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital 182 236 54 30% Kootenay Lake Hospital 239 254 15 6% Penticton Regional Hospital 465 570 105 23% Queen Victoria Hospital 77 82 5 6% Royal Inland Hospital 1,186 1,228 42 4% Shuswap Lake General Hospital 172 174 2 1% Vernon Jubilee Hospital 771 827 56 7% Other IH Hospitals* 13 10 -3 -23% Total Hospital Births 5,647 6,136 489 9% * Other hospitals include 100 Mile House District Hospital, Boundary Hospital, Lillooet Hospital, Nicola Valley Hospital, and South Okanagan General Hospital. For a list of the number of births by community, including home births, see information available from Vital Stats: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/life-events/statistics-reports/births.

Dr. Harsh Hundal, Interior Health executive medical director for quality and patient safety, was recognized with the Doug Cochrane Leadership in Quality Award from the BC Patient Safety & Quality Council. This award celebrates someone who made an inspirational, significant and sustained contribution to improving the quality of health care in British Columbia.

One year ago today, Crystal Head of Vernon was the first registered nurse in B.C. to write an opioid agonist treatment (OAT) prescription for opioid use disorder, as part of the provincial government’s overdose response. Since that time, the nurse prescriber team in Interior Health has grown to include 16 nurses, working in 11 communities to support people with opioid use disorder, including 100 Mile House, Castlegar, Cranbrook, the Elk Valley, Nelson, Penticton, Lillooet, Revelstoke, Trail, Kelowna and Vernon.

People in the Okanagan living with mental health and substance-use challenges will have access to new treatment and recovery services as government responds to the rising need due to the toxic drug supply.  Through Interior Health, the Province is adding 22 new adult substance-use beds to serve people in the Okanagan. Government is also working with the Interior Health, BC Housing and local service providers to bring complex care housing to Kelowna and Kamloops to support people living with complex mental health and substance use, who have been caught in a cycle of evictions, shelters, and often emergency rooms and jail cells.View the full release

People in Vernon will have access to new and expanded mental health and substance-use services as government continues to build a comprehensive system of care throughout British Columbia. Through Interior Health, the Province will add four new services and expand four others, as well as recruit 19 full-time equivalent workers to provide substance-use and mental health supports in Vernon and nearby communities. View the full release