The toxic drug crisis disproportionately affects Aboriginal Peoples. But accessing much needed health care continues to pose challenges for Aboriginal Peoples due to systemic racism and the lack of culturally safe care. Ensuring health-care services are safe and free from discrimination is an ongoing journey at Interior Health. Building relationships, working to decolonize health care and health-care settings, and providing education opportunities for staff offer pathways to understanding and reconciliation. In Creston, the Yaqan Nuʔkiy (Lower Kootenay) Band and IH staff have formed the Ki?su?k Awumu (Good Medicine) Working Group to address the needs of Aboriginal Peoples. The group came together to initiate collaborative discussions between the Band and IH staff, and now meets regularly to provide focus and direction around increasing understanding, educating staff, strengthening relationships, healing, and implementing effective ways to serve Aboriginal clients. Creston community members join the canoe walk on Nov. 23, 2022 in support of those struggling with or affected by substance useDuring discussions, one of the topics the group focused on was a sturgeon-nosed canoe located on the main floor of the Creston Valley Hospital. This canoe was constructed by four Ktunaxa Nation youth 10 years earlier, and was presented as a gift to the hospital during National Addictions Awareness Week on November 23, 2012. Members of the Yaqan Nuʔkiy Band carried this canoe through harsh weather along a 6 km route to the hospital to present it as part of a commitment to a healthy and healing partnership. The sturgeon-nosed canoe is “representative of life” and unique to the Yaqan Nuʔkiy Band. Regretfully, this symbol of healing between the Band and the hospital became forgotten in an almost out of sight area of the hospital. As clinical operations director for Creston Valley Hospital Walter Felitsyn shares, “We asked ourselves, how can we refresh and honour the significance of this gift? In consultation with an Aboriginal Patient Navigator, IH staff rediscovered how to relate our commitment to reconciliation, and honour the gift of the canoe appropriately as part of the path to healing and relationship building.” In September 2022, Walter offered on behalf of Interior Health a gift of tobacco to Yaqan Nuʔkiy Band Nasuʔkin Jason Louie to signify the promise of renewed respect and commitment to honour this very important gift. IH clinical operations staff, L to R: Kendra Kruger, Walter Felitsyn and Jason Schinbein.Today, the canoe is in its rightful – and respectful – place: displayed as a central piece in the hospital lobby under museum-quality glass. Its new location has revived interest in and curiosity about the canoe from both staff and visitors. Work is underway in collaboration with Yaqan Nuʔkiy Band to establish a video display above the canoe to share its history and significance, and the Ktunaxa Nation’s culture.

Name: Fiona Bradford (she/her/hers) Job Title: Social work professional practice leaderYears of Service: 6Worksite: East Kootenay Regional HospitalCommunity: East Kootenay region – between Invermere, Kimberley, and CranbrookAncestral Territory: I live and work between the Ktunaxa and Secwepemc territories Favourite Quote / Advice to live by: We generally regret the things we didn’t take a chance on in life, rather than the things we did.  As a forester turned social worker, ultra-marathoner and team leader, Fiona Bradford brings her full focus and passion into everything she does in life. For Fiona, social work was an intentional career choice. She originally completed a forestry degree and worked in the B.C. forest industry. Says Fiona, “I was a forester before GPS was invented, and I admit that my directional skills were not very good. I spent a lot of time looking at upside-down maps and wondering where my truck was parked!” After eight years in that profession, she realized that her heart was more suited to a people-focused career, and returned to university to pursue a bachelor and then master degree in social work. When she and her husband decided to raise their three kids in Invermere, Fiona started a private practice, which she ran as a sole practitioner for 10 years. She then realized she wanted to work toward systemic change within a team of social workers, which led her to Interior Health. At IH, Fiona has had several different roles: she’s worked in mental health counselling; renal social work; on the regional mental health and substance use team; and now works as a professional practice leader out of the East Kootenay Regional Hospital. 

We know that representation matters in health care. Women play an integral role in teams within Interior Health sites, departments, projects, and education. At every level, there are contributions made by women to improve the health and well-being of our communities. Women hold a number of key leadership roles at Interior Health including president & CEO, as members of the board of directors, and medical chiefs of staff. More than 1,000 of the physicians working at health-care facilities in our region are women. “Within Interior Health, I think we have done quite well in this space.  We have female leaders at all levels and we have wage parity,” says Susan Brown, president & CEO of Interior Health.  “However, there is always room for improvement by making it easy for those who want to advance by, for example, making childcare more accessible. What is really important is that we are using our employee feedback to advance in this area." This year the Government of Canada's theme for International Women's Day is Every Woman Counts. “For me, it’s that not everything women do will be visible to others, or even readily acknowledged. There are a lot of working women out there who juggle full plates every day, at work and at home! It’s not always easy, but the work women do is meaningful and makes a difference to individuals and communities,” says Susan.   In honour of International Women's Day on March 8, 2023, we're profiling four of the amazing women at Interior Health.

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.”

Name: Kevin Miskosky (he/him/his)Job Title: Maintenance WorkerYears of Service: 32Worksite: Gateby Care FacilityCommunity: VernonAncestral Territory: Syilx NationFavourite Quote / Advice to live by: “Do it once, do it right.” - Anonymous Kevin Miskosky, maintenance worker at Interior Health, has been in B.C. health care for an impressive 32 years. Kevin started at Surrey Memorial Hospital, then moved to Vernon Jubilee Hospital in 1997, and finally to Gateby Care Facility in Vernon in 2009.  A jack-of-all-trades, when asked what keeps him motivated in his job, Kevin responds: “All my moms and dads at Gateby.” The residents are what is most important to Kevin, day in and day out.

In February at Interior Health, we honour Black History Month and the vast contributions our Black employees have made and continue to make throughout our health-care system.  As Black History Month comes to a close, we spoke with several Black Interior Health employees about the struggles, barriers and journeys they have experienced, and the importance of celebrating Black history beyond February and educating ourselves about Black history.  It’s also an important reminder that, although we continue to implement and enhance diversity and inclusion efforts, there is a lot of work yet to be done to address bias, stereotypes, and racism.

Name: Kristin Auclair (she/her/hers)Job Title: Admitting clerkYears of Service: 10Worksite: Penticton Regional HospitalCommunity: PentictonAncestral Territory: Syilx OkanaganFavourite Quote / Advice to live by: “Life is too short” and “Everything happens for a reason” Kristin Auclair’s inspiration to work in health care came close to home. “I worked in the lab at (Penticton Regional Hospital) for nine years before making my change and working as an admitting clerk,” Kristin said. “My mom inspired me with my career in the lab because she was also in the lab for many years.” Kristin says one of her proudest moments working for Interior Health was getting a permanent full-time position in the lab after working many years as a casual. She also credits getting a job in admitting, which she had always wanted, as another one of her proudest moments.

Name: Yvette Shukin (she/her/hers)Job Title: Surgical booking clerkYears of Service: 25Worksite: Kootenay Lake HospitalCommunity: NelsonAncestral Territory: KtunaxaFavourite Quote / Advice to live by: “Reset, restart, refocus as many times as you need to. Just don't quit.” - Unknown Born and raised in Nelson, Yvette Shukin began her career at Interior Health in 1997 in health information management systems as a medical transcriptionist and health information processing clerk. Three years ago, she moved to surgical services at Kootenay Lake Hospital, and celebrated 25 years with Interior Health in July 2022.

Once again Interior Health has been named as on of BC’s Top Employers. And for the first time we’ve also received the honour of being one of the best employers in the country for young people. What’s behind our success? One word:people.