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The inaugural cohort of the NAVIG8 Emerging Medical Leaders Program at Interior Health has graduated. These 26 participants completed a two-year, one-of-a-kind program that equips medical staff (physicians, midwives, nurse practitioners and dentists) with the knowledge, skills, and behaviours to become the next generation of medical leaders in Interior Health. “Interior Health is paving the way in medical leadership training in B.C. and across Canada,” said president and CEO Susan Brown. “NAVIG8 aims to build a community of medical leaders who are partners in continuously improving care and creating and sustaining change in health care. I am thrilled Interior Health has people with a genuine connection to their work and a career that aligns with who they are.” This medical leadership training program is part of Interior Health’s continuous work in medical staff engagement. The idea originated from a late-night brainstorm and notes on a napkin. From there, it grew into a comprehensive leadership development program. “Our NAVIG8 program is an innovative approach to mentoring the next generation of medical leaders at Interior Health,” said Dr. Mike Ertel, vice president medicine and quality. “I have been privileged to speak with each participant in post-session calls and in these conversations, I heard timely and valuable feedback about what was working well and what can be improved. This has been instrumental in shaping the success of the program.” NAVIG8 is designed for medical staff who aspire to, or currently occupy, formal administrative leadership positions in Interior Health and who wish to supplement their medical background with applied operational skills. The program format includes experiential learning projects, a mentorship partnership, and in-person and virtual learning sessions. “Participants learn operational and administrative skills; receive mentorship from medical and administrative leaders; develop a deeper awareness of their own leadership strengths and opportunities; and gain deeper insights into how to engage, inspire, and motivate teams,” said Harsh Hundal, executive medical director, physician engagement and resource planning. Through faculty presentations, case studies, group discussions, workshops, and individual exercises, participants examine the distinctive characteristics that define successful leaders. The curriculum balances thought-provoking analysis and dialogue with self-reflection and personal development. The aim of the program is to build a community of medical leaders who can be effective partners in continuously improving care. NAVIG8 is the only health authority-based medical leadership program in Canada recognized by the Canadian Society of Physician Leaders as a pathway to certification as a physician executive. This unique two-year medical leadership training program has garnered significant interest from other health authorities and provincial organizations. Now in its third year, with the second cohort consisting of physicians, a midwife, and an oral surgeon, NAVIG8 has had a significant impact on program participants. “There is no question in my mind that the program is helping to transform me into a more confident and thoughtful leader. Networking with a group of my peers early on in the program was invaluable. I’m learning as much from my peers as from the speakers,” said a NAVIG8 participant. At the inaugural NAVIG8 graduation event, held April 21 in Kelowna, participants had the opportunity to hear presentations, view project posters, and connect in person. NAVIG8 Cohort 2 began fall 2021 and will graduate summer 2023. Watch a video about the NAVIG8 Emerging Medical Leaders Program

Clearwater and area residents are advised of a temporary change to the emergency department hours at Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital this weekend due to unforeseen limited staffing availability. The emergency department will be closed:  5 p.m. Friday, June 3 to 7 a.m. Saturday, June 4 5 p.m. Saturday, June 4 to 7 a.m. Sunday, June 5 Interior Health regrets this temporary change to normal operations and reminds residents to take note of the following if they require care while the emergency department is closed: In the event of an emergency, call 911. Visit the emergency department at one of the following facilities: Royal Inland Hospital – 311 Columbia Street, Kamloops Call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1 (24 hour service) if you are unsure of your need to seek emergency care. The emergency department in Clearwater is normally open 24/7.

Residents of the 100 Mile House area are advised that the Emergency Department at 100 Mile District General Hospital will be closed from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on June 3 due to unforeseen limited physician availability. Residents are advised of the following when the emergency department is closed: In the event of an emergency, call 9-1-1. Visit the emergency department at one of the following facilities: Cariboo Memorial Hospital –  517 North, 6 Ave N, Williams Lake Royal Inland Hospital – 311 Columbia Street, Kamloops Call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1 (24-hour service) if you are unsure of your need to seek emergency care. Interior Health regrets this temporary change to normal operations in 100 Mile House. Emergency department services in 100 Mile will resume at 8 p.m. on June 3.

In response to the ongoing toxic drug emergency, a new health alert system has been launched across Interior Health. “Across the province – in every community – we continue to see tragic deaths due to the toxic drug supply. The new alert system is an example of innovation and community collaboration to save lives in this crisis,” said Minister of Mental Health and Addiction Sheila Malcolmson. The Toxic Drug Alerts system uses text messaging to send alerts as a public health measure to prevent drug poisonings and deaths, and provides timely information and up-to-date resources to people who use drugs and community members. “We are thrilled to have this new tool available in the Interior to support people and to get information out immediately to those who need it most,” said Interior Health president and CEO, Susan Brown. “As the number of lives lost continues to grow, we are focused on removing barriers to supports, and implementing new strategies to prevent drug poisonings and deaths and mitigate harm from the toxic drug supply.” People who use drugs, those who support them, and community members are encouraged to opt-in for toxic drug alerts by sending the keyword JOIN to ALERTS (253787). They will receive toxic drug and drug poisoning alerts and, in the future, public health alerts, such as COVID-19 related information. “Timely and targeted information regarding the current drug supply is vital when we are seeing the toxicity of illicit drugs increase at an alarming rate. Alerts will help people make better informed decisions and ultimately help reduce harms, including overdose and death, from poisoned drugs,” said Jessica Bridgeman, Interior Health sexual health and harm reduction manager. To further help keep communities safe, subscribers can anonymously submit information relating to toxic drugs or drug poisonings via text using the keyword OD. “The priority is to get people access to safe supply, but while we’re waiting, toxic drug alerts will be really helpful in letting us know what is going around in our communities, and can help people make harm reduction decisions for themselves,” said Sara Young, manager of Harm Reduction at BC Centre for Disease Control. Drug alerts play an important role in empowering people who use drugs to do so more safely. “I have been so glad that I have been getting the drug alerts in my area and surrounding areas because anything that is in the surrounding areas is going to make it here eventually,” said one person with lived experience who was involved in developing the new system. “I used this information to prepare myself for any toxic drugs that could be coming our way by doing smaller testers, trying to get samples into the drug testers, asking my peers what they think and informing my peers of the drug alerts. It helped a lot when there were photos in colour. The description was also helpful.” Interior Health is the first health authority to be launching the new system which is developed by the BC Centre for Disease Control and the Office of Virtual Health at the Provincial Health Services Authority in partnership with regional health authorities. The alert system is expected to expand to additional health authorities summer 2022. To learn more, visit towardtheheart.com.

Clearwater and area residents are advised of a temporary change to the emergency department hours at Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital tonight due to unforeseen limited staffing availability. The emergency department will be closed: 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 25 to 7 a.m. Thursday, May 26 Interior Health regrets this temporary change to normal operations and reminds residents to take note of the following if they require care while the emergency department is closed: In the event of an emergency, call 911. Visit the emergency department at one of the following facilities: Royal Inland Hospital – 311 Columbia Street, Kamloops Call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1 (24 hour service) if you are unsure of your need to seek emergency care. The emergency department in Clearwater is normally open 24/7.

People will benefit from the major expansion at Penticton Regional Hospital as final renovations wrap up at the David E. Kampe Tower.  Read the full release

Interior Health (IH) is upgrading heart monitors across the region, improving patient access to important diagnostic testing, and enhancing timely access for physicians and nurse practitioners to these reports. A heart (or Holter) monitor is a diagnostic test that monitors cardiac rhythms via continuous electrocardiogram (ECG) tracing over 24 hours or more. This service is offered at 31 sites across IH. For patients, the brand new devices and system will prevent diagnostic cancellation or the need for diagnostics due to equipment issues. Sites can also share the workload to scan the Holter exams if one site has an unexpected increased volume, decreasing the time to get results. This project is the outcome of the collaborative efforts between IH and the Royal Inland Hospital (RIH) Foundation. The project came to fruition as a result of a generous estate gift from Bill and Catherina Humphrey. “Without the support of the RIH Foundation and the donors, this project to this extent would not have been possible,” said Interior Health vice president of clinical operations, Dr. Shallen Letwin. “We’re proud to be able to provide first-class cardiac care to people living across the Interior region.” “The Royal Inland Hospital Foundation is proud to take care of our big family at Interior Health. The impact of this legacy donation is greater than we could have ever wished for,” explained Heidi Coleman, CEO of the RIH Foundation. All sites in IH will be provided with new equipment to replace older monitors and scanning software. Phased out equipment still within its operational life will be donated to other areas in need. Implementation started in March and the rollout across IH will be complete in June. “As a physician, it’s convenient to be able to report Holter results from any computer,” said Dr. Shawn Pun of Kamloops. “This system has great potential to reduce current Holter reporting turnaround times, a huge benefit to both our patients and health-care providers.” Facts: Number of sites Scanning sites: 8 Remote sites: 24 Total number of devices purchased and distributed: 275 Holter monitors 25 remote licence keys 16 scanning licence keys

Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital emergency department nurses: Jane Carlton, Tamara Roscoe, Teresa Myers, and Emily Larochelle. Interior Health is making the opioid use disorder medication Suboxone widely available in its hospital emergency departments. Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a treatable medical condition. And, yet, many people living with OUD don’t have a regular care provider who can help connect them to medication. For many, their first exposure to treatment is through an emergency department (ED). Given the increasing number of toxic drug deaths across B.C. – 2,224 in 2021* – Interior Health’s Emergency Services and Mental Health and Substance Use networks partnered in June 2021 to connect people experiencing opioid use disorder with Suboxone in emergency departments. Suboxone is an Opioid Agonist Treatment (OAT) medication used to treat OUD. The project includes offering Suboxone “to-go packs” to start patients at home and a new urgent referral process to connect people to ongoing OAT in the community. “The toxic drug crisis continues to impact patients, families, and communities. We can be part of the solution to this ongoing public health emergency and hopefully prevent lives from being lost by providing OAT in the ED,” says Heather Hair, Interior Health emergency services network director. “Frontline health-care workers in emergency departments often see first-hand the impacts of addiction and toxic drug deaths. We are having conversations and building relationships with people who often have experienced stigma, and hopefully helping keep them from harm.” The Suboxone in the ED project has now been implemented at 20 hospitals across Interior Health, most recently in the South Okanagan in April, which resulted in a celebration of the enrolment of the 100th client in the program. In May, Suboxone in the ED is being introduced in hospitals throughout the Kootenay Boundary. All sites will be included by September 2022. Having Suboxone available in EDs has decreased barriers to accessing OAT in communities by providing front-line nurses and physicians with the necessary training to prescribe the treatment, and by helping educate patients on how to start it themselves at home. Feedback from both clinicians and patients has been overwhelmingly positive. Nurse Prescriber Laura Sherret, who works in Cranbrook, says when she first heard about the plan to implement Suboxone in the ED at East Kootenay Regional Hospital, she was excited – especially because access to OAT was otherwise fairly limited in the community. Since then, the program has surpassed her expectations. “The clients I have seen as a Nurse Prescriber who have succeeded in staying on Suboxone or transitioned to the long-acting injectable are doing very well,” says Laura. “They are reconnected to families, have jobs, and are managing life’s challenges in positive ways. Others have gone on to other OAT therapies that suit them better so they, too, can move forward. We continue to build relationships and trust with people and support them in their choices.” Laura also says she has seen an “amazing shift” in the ED staff she works with, because they have a better understanding of what Suboxone is and how it works. “They have a resource at their fingertips to help patients with opioid use disorder,” she says. “They can initiate Suboxone in the ED if the person is in sufficient withdrawal, or discharge the person with a To-Go Pack to start at home. The relative safety of Suboxone and its ability to relieve withdrawal symptoms quickly makes it a good option for people who live with opioid use disorder. “It is now considered the gold standard of care, and that care is being provided right here in the ED at East Kootenay Regional Hospital.” Learn more: Check out the video about Suboxone in the ED. To learn more about OAT visit interiorhealth.ca. *BC Coroner's Service Drug Toxicity Report Feb. 2022

Clearwater and area residents are advised of a temporary change to the emergency department hours at Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital this evening and overnight due to unforeseen limited staffing availability. The emergency department will be closed: 4 p.m. May 15 to 7 a.m. May 16 Interior Health regrets this temporary change to normal operations and reminds residents to take note of the following if they require care while the emergency department is closed: In the event of an emergency, call 9-1-1 Visit the emergency department at one of the following facilities: Royal Inland Hospital – 311 Columbia Street, Kamloops Call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1 (24-hour service) if you are unsure of your need to seek emergency care The emergency department in Clearwater is normally open 24/7. - 30 -