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Please see the attached document to learn more about the look, contamination, and risk associated with the current drug alert.

Construction underway on new long-term care facility in Penticton Summary: Construction has begun on a new long-term care home in Penticton The new home will provide 200 long-term care beds for south Okanagan seniors It is set to open for seniors in 2028 Seniors in the south Okanagan will soon have access to more long-term care as Kaigo Senior Living, in partnership with the Province, breaks ground on a new long-term care home in Penticton. “This new long-term care home will be a place of comfort and connection for seniors from Penticton and the surrounding area,” said Bowinn Ma, Minister of Infrastructure. “It means that people can stay close to their loved ones and community, while receiving the quality care they need and deserve.” Supporting Penticton seniors Skaha Seniors Community, the new long-term care home, is expected to open in 2028 and will include: 200 new beds with single-occupancy rooms and home-like spaces for daily living and activities 12 households with shared quiet spaces, a chapel, a library, therapy and wellness rooms, activity and craft rooms, and a family dining area staff housing and classroom space to support college training and student practicums Located at 453 Green Ave., the new long-term care home will help meet the needs of the growing seniors’ population in the Interior Health region. It will be designed, built and operated by Kaigo Senior Living. The new design will offer a home-like environment where seniors can live with dignity and families can feel confident their loved ones are supported. “As they age, people need the confidence that care, comfort and community are close at hand,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. “This new long-term care home will be a meaningful addition to Penticton that will offer residents the individualized support and dignity they deserve.” Investing in B.C. seniors More than $3.5 billion has been invested since 2018-19 to expand and improve the quality of care for seniors in British Columbia, including investments in primary care, community-based services, home health, long-term care, assisted living and respite services. This funding includes improvements in primary care, home health, long-term care and assisted living. The Province continues to work with its partners to improve care for seniors, including delivering thousands of new and upgraded long-term care beds. Quotes: Susie Chant, parliamentary secretary for seniors’ services and long-term care – “I am thrilled to hear that more seniors will be supported at this new long-term care home in Penticton called the Skaha Seniors Community. By working together with Interior Health and partners like Kaigo Seniors Living, our government continues to move forward with the work across B.C. to ensure older adults can age with dignity and families can feel confident their loved ones are supported close to home.” Harwinder Sandhu, MLA for Vernon Lumby – “Our government is making historic, once-in-a-generation investments in long-term care so every senior can age with dignity and receive the compassionate support they deserve. After many years on the front lines of health care, I know first-hand how essential quality long-term care is for seniors and their families. This new 200-bed long-term care home in Penticton reflects our commitment to providing better care close to home for generations to come.” Sylvia Weir, president and CEO, Interior Health – “Our priority is making sure that people in Penticton receive the care and support that fits their individual needs, close to home. By adding these long-term care beds, we can better support people through their care journey, reduce stress for families, and help residents receive the right supports in a safe, comfortable home. We appreciate our partnership with Kaigo Senior Living as we work together to enhance long-term care services for people across the region.” Kevin Svoboda, president and CEO, Kaigo Senior Living – “Beginning construction on this new long-term care home is an exciting milestone for our team and for the Penticton community. We’re committed to creating a space that offers comfort, dignity and high-quality care, and we look forward to welcoming residents and their families into a supportive place they can truly call home.” Learn More: To read the funding announcement for this project, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2024HLTH0148-001523 Read original release on BC Gov News

Please see the attached document to learn more about the look, contamination, and risk associated with the current drug alert.

Interior Health is making temporary changes to the South Similkameen Health Centre hours. Starting Nov. 17, the Similkameen Health Centre will be open for emergency services on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, between 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. instead of its regular Monday to Saturday schedule. This change follows discussions with current physicians to provide predictable health services to the public on set days and support physicians in providing primary care to their patients during periods when they are not providing emergency services at the centre. All other inpatient services at Similkameen Health Centre will continue without interruption. When the health centre is closed, patients should call 911 or proceed to the nearest available hospital for care. Patients can access 24/7 emergency services at the Penticton Regional Hospital or Princeton General Hospital during these times.  At this time, Interior Health will work closely with physicians and our community and health partners about how we can sustain and improve health services, reduce physician burnout and strengthen physician recruitment efforts in Keremeos. We will provide further updates to the community as this planning evolves. Patients in Keremeos requiring care who do not have a family doctor can access care in Penticton at the Urgent Primary Care Centre, Penticton Regional Hospital or by calling 911.

Please see the attached document to learn more about the look, contamination, and risk associated with the current drug alert.

Please see the attached document to learn more about the look, contamination, and risk associated with the current drug alert.

Interior Health (IH) is asking young artists to share their thoughts and experience in its annual youth poster contest, Beyond the Buzz 2.0: Youth Voices on Substance Use, for a chance to win a gift card of $150 of their choice. Young people are the experts when it comes to understanding why youth use tobacco and vape, and how it impacts them, their friends, family, school and community – it’s critical to hear their voices. The poster contest is intended to engage schools, families, communities - and most importantly students - in meaningful conversations about substance use. Contest details Students from Grade 6 to 12 within the IH region are invited to submit original artwork in the form of a poster, illustration or infographic in one of the following themed categories:   Alcohol: Choices on Tap: Alcohol, Youth & Consequences  Tobacco: Tobacco impact: Commercial Tobacco’s Environmental & Community Legacy*  Vape: Unmask the Vapour: Nicotine, Addiction & Hidden Dangers  Cannabis: Mind at Risk: Cannabis, Brain Development & Youth Well‑Being  *Commercial tobacco is not reflective of traditional, ceremonial, sacred and medicinal uses of raw tobacco by Indigenous, and other cultures.  The contest, underway now with entries due by 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 15, 2025, is split into two age brackets: one contest for youth in Grades 6 to 8, and the other for youth in Grades 9 to 12. The contest themes will remain the same for both age groups. A panel of teen judges from IH’s YOUTHWISE Advisory Council will select a winning poster for each theme within each age bracket. The winners will receive a gift card of $150 in value and have their artwork professionally printed and shared with their school district, shared throughout the IH region and displayed on IH’s social media channels and website.  The winners will be announced during the week of Jan. 18, 2026 – National Non-Smoking Week. For more information about the contest and how to enter, visit interiorhealth.ca/takeabreath.

Please see the attached document to learn more about the look, contamination, and risk associated with the current drug alert.

Interior Health (IH), in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, is engaging with partners to better support overnight emergency care through a mix of virtual and on-site staffing, which is expected to enable more consistent access by reducing unplanned service interruptions. Engagement is underway with physicians, staff, Indigenous and local governments to better understand perspectives and integrate them into the planning for the pilots planned at community hospitals in Clearwater, Nakusp, Lillooet, and Princeton.  “Virtual support has proven its value across many areas of health care, and integrating it with local emergency teams will give people in these four communities stronger, more connected care,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. “It’s a forward-looking approach that strengthens rural emergency services and ensures patients receive timely, high-quality care.” The four community hospital sites are similar in size with low overnight patient volumes, which would allow physicians to share responsibilities—ultimately helping maintain access to care, promote physician wellness and improve staff retention.  “Strong partnerships are at the heart of rural health care,” said Sylvia Weir, IH president and CEO. “We’re taking the time to engage with physicians, staff and community partners to understand what might work. By listening and consulting from the ground up, we hope to shape a model that communities can trust and where front-line teams feel supported.” Virtual care is not new in rural emergency departments in B.C. The Virtual Emergency Room Rural assistance (VERRa) model has been used to augment in-person services across the province, keeping overnight care accessible for patients and relieving the workload on local physicians. This emergency care pilot project aims to build on this model by bringing it in-house to enable wider use and timelier coordination. IH has also used virtual care to successfully support in-patient care at Cariboo Memorial Hospital in Williams Lake.  IH is committed to keeping medical staff, clinical health staff, community partners and the public informed throughout the development of this initiative.  What community leaders are saying “We see this virtual pilot program as a small but meaningful step toward greater stability in local emergency care,” said Tom Zeleznik, Mayor of the village of Nakusp “Our community welcomes innovative solutions, values the strong partnerships that support rural health care and appreciates the leadership from the Ministry of Health and Interior Health. At the heart of it all are our dedicated local doctors and nurses who keep our ER open, and our residents cared for.” “We applaud the ongoing efforts of Interior Health, the Ministry of Health and our local health-care staff and physicians in finding innovative solutions to support the hospital emergency department stays open 24/7” said Clearwater mayor Merlin Blackwell. “Working together to find creative solutions to our rural health-care challenges is really our best way forward.”