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Oliver and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at South Okanagan General Hospital due to limited physician availability. Emergency services will be unavailable from 1 p.m. on Friday, August 30 to 7 a.m. on Saturday, August 31, 2024. 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 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 Oliver is normally open 24/7.

100 Mile House and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at 100 Mile District General Hospital due to limited physician availability. Emergency department services will be unavailable effective immediately until 8 a.m. on Saturday, August 31, 2024. Patients can access care at Cariboo Memorial Hospital in Williams Lake, Lillooet Hospital and Health Centre in Lillooet or Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops. 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 811, 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 100 Mile House is normally open 24/7.

Williams Lake and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at Cariboo Memorial Hospital.  Emergency services will be unavailable from 8 p.m. on Wednesday, August 28 to 6 a.m. on Thursday, August 29, 2024. Patients can access care at 100 Mile District General Hospital in 100 Mile House, GR Baker Memorial Hospital in Quesnel, or Bella Coola General Hospital in Bella Coola during this time. All other inpatient services will continue as normal at Cariboo Memorial 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 Cariboo Memorial Hospital is normally open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Grand Forks and area residents are advised that Interior Health has secured physician coverage tonight for the emergency department at Boundary District Hospital. The emergency department will be open effective 8 p.m. Monday, August 26. 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 Grand Forks is normally open 24/7.

Williams Lake and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at Cariboo Memorial Hospital.   Emergency services will be unavailable effective immediately until 7 a.m. on Monday, August 26, 2024. Patients can access care at 100 Mile District General Hospital in 100 Mile House, GR Baker Memorial Hospital in Quesnel, or Bella Coola General Hospital in Bella Coola during this time.   All other inpatient services will continue as normal at Cariboo Memorial 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 Cariboo Memorial Hospital is normally open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Grand Forks and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at Boundary District Hospital due to limited physician availability.   Emergency services will be unavailable from 6 a.m. on Monday, August 26 to 8 a.m. on Tuesday, August 27, 2024. Patients can access care at Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital in Trail, Kootenay Lake Hospital in Nelson or South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver during this time.   All other inpatient services will continue as normal at Boundary District 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 Grand Forks is normally open 24/7.

Oliver and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at South Okanagan General Hospital due to limited physician availability.   Emergency services will be unavailable from 7 p.m. on Saturday, August 24 to 7 a.m. on Sunday, August 25.  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.

Merritt and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at the Nicola Valley Hospital and Health Centre in Merritt B.C. due to limited physician availability.    Emergency services will be unavailable from 7 a.m. on Saturday, August 24 to 8 a.m. on Sunday, August 25, 2024. 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 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.

People living in Vernon and surrounding communities will benefit from increased access to team-based care as planning progresses on a second urgent and primary care centre (UPCC). “We’re building up better access to doctors, nurses and other health-care professionals in Vernon and across the province, because people deserve care that works for them and their families when they need it,” said Premier David Eby. “Urgent and primary care centres deliver faster access to care while relieving pressure on our emergency rooms. With a second centre for Vernon, north Okanagan residents will get better access for cuts, minor infections, sprains and those kinds of medical issues that need a doctor’s attention, but not an emergency room visit.” Planning is underway for a second UPCC in Vernon, which is anticipated to open to patients in fall 2025. The UPCC will provide urgent primary care seven days a week, including statutory holidays. “We are committed to meeting the growing health-care needs of communities around B.C.,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “Early in our primary care strategy, we brought a UPCC to Vernon that has provided much-needed health care to people. As the community has grown, we’re now adding a second UPCC to add capacity and ensure people have access to the care they need, close to home.” The UPCC will provide same-day care for people who need support for their health concerns within 12 to 24 hours, but do not require an emergency department. Conditions such as sprains, cuts, high fevers and minor infections are appropriate for the UPCC. The UPCC will be available to people who do not have a primary care provider, as well as people with a provider who are unable to schedule an appointment within 12 to 24 hours. “Strengthening health-care services in our region and across the province is a top priority for our government and myself,” said Harwinder Sandhu, MLA for Vernon-Monashee. “As a health-care worker, I recognize the importance in being able to access timely care and this second UPCC in Vernon will provide more options for same-day health care in our community. I know people in Vernon join me in looking forward to watching this project come to life.” Once a location is selected, Interior Health will proceed with the request-for-proposal process for construction-management services. “Establishing a second UPCC in Vernon is a critical part of our ongoing strategy to enhance health-care services for the community,” said Susan Brown, president and CEO, Interior Health. “By expanding these services, we are not only increasing access to urgent care, but also helping to reduce the strain on our emergency departments. This is a significant step towards delivering comprehensive, timely care that supports the overall health and well-being of the people of Vernon.” Operated by Interior Health, the new Vernon UPCC will be a collaboration between the Ministry of Health, Interior Health, the North Okanagan Division of Family Practice, Okanagan Indian Band and the Splatsin First Nation. This UPCC will be part of the Shuswap North Okanagan Primary Care Network. The capital cost of the UPCC is estimated at $4.97 million, and will be shared by the provincial government through Interior Health and the North Okanagan Columbia Shuswap Regional Hospital District. “We are thrilled to see the continued investment in health care for Vernon and the North Okanagan with the addition of a second UPCC in Vernon,” said Kevin Acton, board chair, North Okanagan Columbia Shuswap Regional Hospital District. “This new facility is a testament to the shared dedication to address the evolving health care needs of our region.” There are nine UPCCs operating in the Interior Health region, including Ashcroft, Castlegar, Cranbrook, Kamloops, Kelowna, Penticton, Rutland, Vernon, and West Kelowna. Learn More: To learn more about UPCCs in the Interior Health region, visit: https://www.interiorhealth.ca/information-for/patients-and-visitors/urgent-and-primary-care-centres  To read about B.C.’s primary care strategy, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/accessing-health-care/bcs-primary-care-system and https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2018PREM0034-001010 Read original release on BC Gov News