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.

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 11:30 p.m. on Monday, May 27, 2024 until 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 28, 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.

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.

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 Monday, May 20 to 7 a.m. on Tuesday, May 21. 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 that Interior Health has secured physician coverage tonight for the emergency department at South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver. The emergency department will be open at 12:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 11. 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. 

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 Friday, May 10 to 7 a.m. on Saturday, May 11. 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. 

Thanks to the Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital (KBRH) Health Foundation and its generous donors, Interior Health will be able to keep more Kootenay Boundary expectant families facing early deliveries closer to home. A new Tier 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at KBRH, made possible by $745,000 in additional Foundation-funded equipment and the addition of specialized NICU healthcare workers by Interior Health, means KBRH has the capacity to support deliveries and care for babies born after 34 weeks, as well urgent acute care for babies born even earlier with moderate risk. “Families who have babies before full term face additional challenges and stress,” said Susan Brown, president and CEO of Interior Health. "In addition to the equipment from the Foundation, our nurses in Trail stepped up to take the specialized training needed to support this increased service, and we added new positions to the department. This commitment helps provide the best possible outcomes to these families without the burden of travel.” A Tier 3 NICU requires significant equipment upgrades to accommodate the needs of the newborns. Three newly funded isolettes (specialized cribs), monitors and stabilization equipment are available with care provided by neonatal healthcare professionals including a NICU educator and nurses, and allied health professionals. “This is wonderful for families in the Kootenay Boundary,” said Lisa Pasin, executive director of the KBRH Health Foundation. “The new neonatal medical equipment will improve accessibility to a higher level of care for families during what can be a challenging time and will also support specialist services and recruitment for our area.” “The only focus for expectant families should be their new baby,” said Katrine Conroy, MLA for Kootenay West. “This new NICU will reduce the need for long-distance travel for early deliveries and is a great example of bringing the health care people need, closer to home.” The new service will benefit expectant families throughout the entire Kootenay Boundary, reducing the burden of travel and keeping them close to local extended family and supports. “We are thrilled to open our Tier 3 NICU and care for mothers and babies close to home,” said Ian Ferguson, obstetrician, gynecologist and department head of Maternity and Pediatrics at KBRH. “We can now keep patients local and repatriate other patients back home sooner when they otherwise would have had to relocate for care. It has made a huge difference for the families of our region, and everyone is very excited.” “Our pediatrics team is very excited to announce the official opening of the NICU at Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital,” said Dr. Brenna Eldridge, pediatrician. “This will provide much needed support for babies born prematurely and newborns who may require extra support, and will allow infants to stay in a supported environment as they recover and grow or await transport. We are immensely grateful to all those who supported this project.”  

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

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 6:30 p.m. on Monday, April 29, 2024 until 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. Patients can access care at 100 Mile District General Hospital in 100 Mile House or GR Baker Memorial Hospital in Quesnel, B.C. 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