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Interior Health and BC Cancer have invited two qualified teams to participate in the request for proposals (RFP) stage to design and build the new BC Cancer centre at Royal Inland Hospital. “Four months ago, we said the short list of the request for qualifications for the new Kamloops cancer centre would be ready in June and it is,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “I’m pleased that the procurement phase for this project is proceeding to the next stage and people in Kamloops and Thompson Cariboo area will be one step closer to having cutting-edge, comprehensive cancer care and treatment that’s close to home.” After evaluating the request for qualification submissions, two teams have been selected to participate in the RFP: EllisDon Corporation, and PCL Constructors Westcoast Inc. Following the evaluation of RFP submissions, Interior Health and BC Cancer will choose the project’s design-build team. It is expected the team will be chosen by May 2025, with construction beginning summer 2025. “As we move through the procurement process for the new Kamloops cancer centre, we are another step closer to starting construction,” said Susan Brown, president and CEO, Interior Health. “Together with BC Cancer, we are looking forward to bringing expanded cancer services to patients and their families in a new modern space.” The new Kamloops cancer centre will be a five-storey facility built on the Westlands site on the hospital campus. There will be space for radiation treatment, radiation-therapy planning, including a CT simulator, an outpatient ambulatory-care unit, including 10 exam rooms, and two consultation rooms for radiation-therapy services, an additional MRI suite, and patient arrival and check-in areas. “Today marks an important step forward in enhancing cancer services in the region,” said Dr. Kim Nguyen Chi, executive vice-president and chief medical officer, BC Cancer. “The new BC Cancer centre at Royal Inland Hospital will provide high-quality, accessible, and life-saving care to patients facing cancer, and uphold our commitment to Indigenous cultural safety.” The centre will have three linear accelerator vaults. These heavy, concrete structures contain radiation equipment used for cancer-patient treatment. In collaboration with Indigenous partners, there will also be a sacred space for patients, caregivers and staff, with features to support traditional ceremonies. A new 470-stall parkade will also be built as part of the centre. In addition, upgrades to the hospital to expand cancer care have been approved, which include updating and expanding the pharmacy, and relocation and expansion of the community oncology network clinic from the eighth floor to the main floor, with more space and improved access. Cancer care delivered through the clinic includes oral and intravenous cancer treatment, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy and hormonal therapy. The clinic also provides initial consultation and treatment planning with a medical oncologist, supportive care, followup care and patient education. “Our government has made unprecedented investments to expand cancer services across the province to meet the increased demand as the population grows and ages rapidly and more people will be diagnosed with cancer,” Dix said. The new Kamloops cancer centre project budget is $359 million, shared between the provincial government and the Thompson Regional Hospital District. It is a part of the 10-year B.C. Cancer Action Plan, which outlines actionable steps to better prevent, detect and treat cancers, delivering improved care for people facing cancer now, while preparing for growing needs.Read original release on BC Gov News

Clearwater and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital due to limited nurse availability.   Emergency services will be unavailable from 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 15 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, June 16. Patients can access care at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops or 100 Mile House District General Hospital in 100 Mile House or this time.   All other inpatient services will continue as normal at Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital.   People in the community who need life-saving 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 Clearwater 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 Wednesday, June 12 to 7 a.m. on Thursday, June 13. 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.

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 9 p.m. on Sunday, June 9 to 7 a.m. on Monday, June 10. 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.

Clearwater and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital due to limited nurse availability. Emergency services will be unavailable from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 8, 2024. Patients can access care at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops or 100 Mile House District General Hospital in 100 Mile House during this time. All other inpatient services will continue as normal at Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital. People in the community who need life-saving 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 Clearwater is normally open 24/7.

Williams Lake and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at Cariboo Memorial Hospital due to limited nursing availability. Emergency services will be unavailable effective 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 5 until 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 6, 2024. Patients can access care at 100 Mile District General Hospital in 100 Mile House or GR Baker Memorial Hospital in Quesnel 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.

The replacement and expansion of Dr. F.W. Green Memorial Home in Cranbrook is another step closer to construction with the selection of Zeidler Architecture for architectural and engineering services and Bird Construction as the construction manager for the project. “Long-term care facilities are a place for seniors and others to not only receive care, but also call home,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “That’s why we’re working to expand long-term care homes and access throughout the province, including the Cranbrook area. This is an important step in securing a future for those who live in long-term care facilities to continue receiving quality care that they need, near their loved ones, in a building that is designed to meet their needs.”   “With the replacement and expansion of Dr. F.W. Green Memorial Home, we will have a new, modern care community for our staff and seniors,” said Sylvia Weir, chief financial officer and vice president, corporate services of Interior Health. “Awarding these contracts is an important step in this project that will be increasing access to the range of services seniors in the East Kootenay need.” The redevelopment of Dr. F.W. Green Memorial Home will replace the existing 60 long-term care beds and add 88 new beds for a total of 148 beds on the same site. The new care home will be designed as households accommodating 12 to 18 residents. Each resident will have a single-bed room with a dedicated washroom. Each household will have dining and living space and provide a warm and inviting atmosphere. The new building design takes lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic into account with features reflecting best-practice infection prevention and control standards. “We are taking the critical step to expand the number of long-term care beds and provide people in the region with better access to the help they need,” said Harwinder Sandhu, Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors’ Services. “The replacement and expansion project in the Cranbrook region will ensure people, especially seniors can receive the care they need as they age, close to their loved ones and community.” Construction is expected to begin next year in Spring 2025, with Phase 1 of the facility anticipated to open in 2027 and an anticipated completion date for the facility in 2029. The work will be conducted in stages to minimize disruption to residents and staff. "We recognize the significant impact this project will make in the lives of seniors in our region and are excited to see the construction of this long-awaited facility one step closer to reality with the awarding of these contracts," said Kootenay East Regional Hospital District chair David Wilks. The capital cost of the previously announced project is $156.5 million to be funded jointly between the Province through Interior Health and the Kootenay East Regional Hospital District. The care community will be constructed, owned, and operated by Interior Health.

Interior Health (IH) and the Central Interior Rural Division of Family Practice (CIRDoFP) have partnered to open a new Primary Care Network (PCN) Hub in Williams Lake.  “People in Williams Lake will benefit from the opening of the new primary-care network hub and have increased access to primary care as well as other health-care services,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “With this opening, we are demonstrating our commitment to meeting the health-care needs of people living in Williams Lake and surrounding areas, now and in the future.” “This Williams Lake Primary Care Hub will improve access to primary care for community members of the Cariboo. We have a diverse team of health-care professionals already in place and are working to bring in primary care providers, including physicians and nurse practitioners,” said Karen Cooper, executive director, clinical operations, Cariboo/South Cariboo with Interior Health. “This is an important expansion of services for the region.” In this early phase, the clinic is open with limited capacity and will only accept new patients by referral from a health-care professional or hospital emergency department. This will help connect patients with the greatest needs to appropriate services offered by the team currently in place at the clinic. The clinic will serve as the central facility for existing Central Rural Interior Primary Care Network allied health staff, including a social worker, mental health and substance use clinician, dietitian, and a respiratory therapist, occupational therapist and clinical pharmacist shared between Williams Lake and 100 Mile House. IH is in discussion with an interested physician and is recruiting for nurse practitioners to support primary care services.  Once primary care providers are in place, patients will be matched to the clinic through the Health Connect Registry (details on registering are below). “The Williams Lake Primary Care Clinic provides a centralized hub for allied health to work along-side primary care providers and has been part of our vision for the primary care network from the beginning, four years ago,” said Jill Zirnhelt, executive director of CIRDoFP. “It is a huge win for us, especially now when it is needed more than ever, and is a testament to the hard work and commitment of all our partners involved this work.” Virtual health care at the PCN Hub will be introduced in the weeks ahead and will be one way to improve access to primary care for people who do not have a family physician.  Moving forward, physicians and nurse practitioners stationed out of the new PCN Hub will provide outreach and mobile services to local First Nations communities. “Recruitment of nurse practitioners has been a challenge in our area,” said Connie Jasper, director of health, Tsilhqot’in National Government. “Part of that challenge was not having a broader team of health professionals to work with. This collaborative model addresses that challenge. I think it will help recruitment and support more care for our communities.” People without a family care provider can register with the Health Connect Registry by calling 8-1-1 or by visiting HealthLinkBC.ca. This list is the best way to be matched with a family doctor or nurse practitioner as one becomes available. People can also call 8-1-1 to access non-emergency health information from nurses, dietitians and pharmacists 24 hours a day, seven days per week.  About Primary Care Networks (PCN):  Primary Care Networks (PCN) are a collaborative approach to health-care delivery that brings together various health-care professionals including doctors, nurse practitioners and allied health providers like social workers, registered nurses, occupational therapists and more, to provide comprehensive team-based care to patients. PCNs are networks of local primary care providers and community service organizations that collectively meet the primary care needs of a geographic population, aiming to improve access to care, enhance patient outcomes, and address the health-care needs of geographic populations. Sincere thanks to the Ministry of Health, the Central Interior Rural Division of Family Practice, the First Nations Health Authority, Doctors of BC, the Tsilhqot’in National Government, the Williams Lake First Nation, the Ulkatcho First Nation and all of our other partners who have made the Williams Lake PCN possible. Partnership:  The Central Interior Rural Division of Family Practice, Interior Health and First Nations partners from Secwépemc, Tŝilhqot’in and Dãkelh Dené worked collaboratively to establish the Primary Care Network in the Cariboo. Together, we are committed to delivering high-quality health-care services and improving the overall health and well-being of the community through our Primary Care Network.

Clearwater and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital due to limited nurse availability.  Emergency services will be unavailable from 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21 to 7 a.m. on Wednesday, May 22. Patients can access care at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops or 100 Mile House District General Hospital in 100 Mile House during this time. All other inpatient services will continue as normal at Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital. People in the community who need life-saving 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 Clearwater is normally open 24/7.