Foundations in the Interior Region raise funds that support medical equipment, care needs, and innovative local initiatives in their communities. Each organization includes respected community leaders, volunteers and staff who are passionate about meeting the needs of patients and families in Interior Health. Thanks to the generosity of their supporters, we all have a stronger health system.  In this story in our series on the incredible health-care and hospital foundations throughout our region, we interviewed Brenna Baker, executive director of the East Kootenay Foundation for Health.

Name: Isla Coombs (she/her/hers)Job Title: Business Partner, Employee ExperienceYears of Service: 2.5Worksite: Community Health & Services CentreCommunity:  KelownaAncestral Territory: Syilx/ Okanagan NationFavourite Quote / Advice to live by: Treat others how they would like to be treated. Whether you catch her representing Interior Health (IH) at the Kelowna Pride Festival, riding the slopes at Big White, or zooming down mountain bike trails, Isla Coombs is an energetic member of her community, and a force to be reckoned with. Through her work on the Employee Experience team at IH, Isla is passionate about creating an inclusive, welcoming environment where staff feel culturally, psychologically, and spiritually safe.

Interior Health staff, alongside members from the Tsq̓éscen First Nation Canim Lake community, hosted a smudging ceremony at the 100 Mile House District General Hospital, creating a day filled with cultural significance and unity. As participants arrived, the sounds of drums and singing from Tsq̓éscen First Nation drummers and singers filled the area. The cultural performance was not entertainment, but integral parts of ceremony that blend healing and tradition. Elders from the community led the smudging ceremony by first explaining the significance of the smudging practice, a sacred ritual intended to purify and cleanse both the physical and spiritual walks of Mother Earth. The ceremony involves the burning of sage, cedar and sweetgrass. Each person had the opportunity to partake in the smudging as the group moved through the hospital.

Four students have been selected as winners in BC Lung Foundation and Interior Health’s (IH) first-ever radon skill testing contest. First place and second place winners were chosen in each of grades 4–8 and grades 9–12 from across the IH region. “The contest was designed to spark interest in science among young students, and to also promote awareness among teachers, staff, parents and guardians about the importance of testing for radon,” says Dr. Silvina Mema, deputy chief medical health officer. “Radon gas is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers and it’s commonly found in homes and buildings across the Interior region. Testing is the only way to know if radon is present.” Colourful posters and letters were sent to schools, and the contest was advertised on BC Lung and IH’s websites. The contest was also featured in social media. “We were thrilled that Interior Health is leading efforts to get schools tested. This contest was designed to be a springboard for building radon awareness with students’ families,” says Noah Quastel, director, law and policy, of the Healthy Indoor Environments program at the BC Lung Foundation. “I was amazed to see so many students take time to think about this important public health issue. The contest spread awareness throughout B.C.’s Southern Interior with tens of thousands of people seeing the posters and ads.”

Name: Jayme Gerk (she/her/hers)Job Title: Improvement ConsultantYears of Service: 10Worksite: Penticton Health CentreCommunity: South OkanaganAncestral Territory: Syilx/OkanaganFavourite Quote / Advice to live by: “There are three ways to ultimate success. The first way is to be kind. The second way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind.” — Fred Rogers Improvement consultant Jayme Gerk describes herself as passionate and authentic, and occasionally just a little bit cheesy. She was born in Vancouver and moved to Penticton when she was two years old. She lived in Kelowna for eight years before moving back home to Penticton.

Jean Kearney leans in close to speak to Mick, smiling widely as she grasps his hand and holds his arm like a lifelong friend. They chat about his wife, Jill, whom he met in Sheffield, England. In his soft Yorkshire accent, Mick tells Jean he’d marry Jill all over again. “I married her 61 years ago and I’ve been chasing her ever since,” chuckles Mick. “It sounds like to me Sheffield is where your best memories are, Mick,” says Jean, an adult day program coordinator at the Good Samaritan Village by the Station care facility in Penticton.

Welcome to the Meet Your Recruiter series, where we bring you closer to the dedicated professionals behind Interior Health's recruitment team. In this series, you'll have the opportunity to get to know the recruiters who play a vital role in attracting and selecting talented individuals to join our dynamic health-care team. Discover their passions, expertise and invaluable insights as they share their experiences and shed light on the exciting opportunities that await you within Interior Health. As one of the largest health-care authorities in British Columbia, we are committed to providing exceptional care to the communities we serve. These are the people who help us fulfill this commitment.

Name: Joel Koette (he/him/his)Job Title: Emergency department registered nurse (RN)Years of Service: 5Worksite: Kelowna General HospitalCommunity: KelownaAncestral Territory: SyilxFavourite Quote / Advice to live by: “Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind.” – Brad Meltzer Born and raised in Prince George, Joel has always been high energy, active and confident. With his bubbly, effervescent personality, he loves making people laugh and smile. “I try to stay positive, be grateful and have fun at work,” he says. When in early 2018 he started to feel extremely fatigued, he put it down to having taken on too much. “I was working full time as a licensed practical nurse, and going to school full time as a mature student in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at UBCO,” he recalls. “My doctor at the time ran some bloodwork and called me that evening to come into his office. “The next day he told me I had cancer.”

As you explore the outdoors this spring and summer, there's a chance you'll encounter a bat. Bats play an essential role in B.C.'s ecosystem and economy, and can eat their weight in insects (including mosquitoes) in one night. All bats in Canada eat nothing but insects, and in most cases, only flying insects.  But they can also carry diseases that can be transmitted to humans, including rabies. Rabies is a very serious disease caused by a rabies virus. It's transmitted through saliva (spit), usually by the bite of a mammal. If not treated in time, a rabies infection is almost always fatal. In B.C., between four and eight per cent of bats that come into contact with people test positive for the rabies virus. In 2023, 144 people in the region were treated for potential exposure to rabies.