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 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7 to 8 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 8. 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.

Keremeos and area residents are advised of a temporary change at the South Similkameen Health Centre due to unexpected limited nursing availability. From 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, walk-in services will not be available. Patients with urgent needs will be redirected to Penticton Regional 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.  During this time, all other community health services will continue as normal at the South Similkameen Health Centre. 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 South Similkameen Health Centre is normally open Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is closed on Sundays and stat holidays.

New Denver and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at Slocan Community Health Centre due to limited staffing availability. Emergency services will be unavailable from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7. Patients can access care at Arrow Lakes Hospital at 97 - 1st Ave NE, Nakusp. 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 New Denver is normally open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week while Interior Health continues to recruit to fill positions to return to 24/7 operations.

A new mammography unit has opened at Shuswap Lake General Hospital to serve the Shuswap region. The site provides free screening mammograms for eligible people and diagnostic mammograms for those needing further testing, allowing patients to access year-round care closer to home. “Increased access to mammography screening is an important part of supporting women in monitoring their breast health,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “B.C.’s provincial breast cancer screening program, which is the first of its kind in the country, has enabled more than 500,000 to have breast screenings in the last two years across the province, and this new unit will further increase access for people in the Shuswap area.” Historically, screening mammograms in the Shuswap have been provided through BC Cancer's mobile coaches, offering over 1,500 screenings annually. Starting this fall, BC Cancer’s essential breast screening services will be delivered in a dedicated mammography unit right within Shuswap Lake General Hospital in Salmon Arm. “The new mammography unit means patients can access screening and diagnostic services at Shuswap Lake General Hospital and eliminates the need to travel to other communities like Kamloops or Vernon for this service. This is a significant step in the ongoing effort to improve access to rural health care,” said Susan Brown, Interior Health president and CEO. “Early detection is key in the fight against breast cancer, and this initiative underscores the commitment of all involved agencies to the well-being of people in the Shuswap.” “It’s never been easier to make mammograms a part of your regular routine,” said Dr. Kim Chi, chief medical officer, BC Cancer. “Screening mammograms can help to find breast cancer when lumps are still too small to feel, before the cancer spreads and when there is the best chance of a cure. For the one in eight women who will develop breast cancer in their lifetimes, screening mammography can be lifesaving.” The mammography unit project cost $2.3 million and is a collaborative effort between the Shuswap Hospital Foundation, North Okanagan Columbia Shuswap Regional Hospital District, Interior Health, BC Cancer / Provincial Health Services Authority. "Our top priority is to enhance health-care access and deliver exceptional services tailored to the specific needs of our community," said Dr. Darren Lorenz, president, Shuswap Hospital Foundation. "This development is a testament to the dedication and commitment of our local funding partners, who share our vision of improving health-care accessibility for all." As part of their fundraising campaign, the Shuswap Hospital Foundation also contributed to a new CT scanner that cost $2.1 million, replacing the existing CT scanner that was installed in 2010. The new, premium CT scanner has been in operation since November 2021 and has been an essential diagnostic tool that allows health-care workers to see detailed images of organs, bones, soft tissues and blood vessels. Since being opened to patients, approximately 11,500 scans have been completed. In total, the Shuswap Hospital Foundation contributed $3.3 million and the regional hospital district contributed $1.1 million between the two projects. “Our foremost mission has always been to enhance health-care facilities and accessibility for our community and region,” said Kevin Acton, North Okanagan Columbia Shuswap Regional Hospital District chair. “We are proud to support this initiative and look forward with optimism to further enhancements and improvements in health care for our community.” Upon opening, the site will prioritize diagnostic mammography to address community and regional waitlists. Screening mammograms will be offered at the site beginning Nov. 6, with eligible patients being able to book appointments through BC Cancer’s Breast Screening Program by calling 1-800-663-9203. Determine if screening mammogram is right for you by using the Breast Cancer Screening Decision Aid.

Interior Health (IH) has released a five-year Climate Change and Sustainability Roadmap that provides long-term, strategic direction for preparing for and mitigating the health impacts of climate change. IH is committed to being a leader in creating a sustainable and resilient health-care system that equitably contributes to the well-being of clients, patients, staff, communities and the planet. The 2023–2028 IH Roadmap, which is the first of its kind, builds on direction from the provincial government, action already taking place within IH, and the increasing impacts of climate change on our region. The 20 actions detailed in the report are designed to strengthen Aboriginal partnerships, build a healthy and resilient health-care system, and support climate adaptation in B.C.’s Interior communities. View the IH Climate Change and Sustainability Roadmap 2023–2028 “The link between the health and well-being of British Columbians, and the health and well-being of our environment, is clear,” said Susan Brown, president and CEO of Interior Health. “The IH Roadmap is grounded in a health equity approach, and positions IH to not only respond effectively to the threat of climate change, but to support our most vulnerable communities, as well as Aboriginal partners in their efforts to prepare for climate change. It builds on the significant momentum we’ve already created as we strive for a healthier environment for those that we serve.” The IH Roadmap was co-created with staff, physicians and external partners, including representatives from Aboriginal communities, local government, municipalities in the Interior region, and specialists in emergency management, climate resilience and public health. “This is an important moment for everyone at Interior Health, and I am extremely proud of the work our teams are doing to promote climate resilience, energy reduction and environmental sustainability,” said medical health officer Dr. Sue Pollock. “The IH Roadmap will serve as a guide towards a more sustainable future as an organization, health-care provider and community member.” Of the 20 actions detailed in the report, many are already in progress, including the development of an electric vehicle strategy; conducting climate risk assessments for our facilities; the integration of environmental sustainability into clinical operations; creating and implementing surveillance and early warning systems for extreme heat, cold and air quality events; and a climate change and health vulnerability and adaptation assessment. “The Roadmap provides IH a compass by which we will continue to build environmentally sustainable health-care operations and services,” said Lorne Sisley, corporate director, Facilities Management and Operations. “It’s a cohesive document that will be integrated into all areas of our operations and service delivery so that together, we can help strengthen our health-care system to adapt and mitigate climate change impacts.” The IH Roadmap will also support IH in meeting its 2030 greenhouse gas emissions targets. As a public sector organization, IH contributes to B.C.’s legislated target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent below 2007 levels by 2030. IH has been carbon neutral since 2010, as outlined in the 2022 PSO Climate Change Accountability Report.

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 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 3 and 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.

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 8 p.m. Friday, September 29 to 8 a.m. Saturday, September 30 and 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.

Patients in Lytton and area now have access to improved local health care services with the opening of a primary care clinic. The primary care clinic is located at 1535 St. Georges Road, right across from the Tl’kemtsin Health Centre. It is on Lytton First Nation (LFN) lands and Interior Health is leasing the space. View the location webpage “The people living in Lytton and surrounding areas will now have access to health care in a modernized facility in their own community, as well as an Indigenous Patient Navigator who will provide direct patient and family support, including access to traditional ceremonies and healing practices,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “Re-establishing health services and connecting patients to a primary care provider has been a high priority and one of many steps in rebuilding Lytton after the devastation by wildfires. I would like to recognize the hard work and dedication of the Interior Health and Lytton staff, health-care providers, and the Indigenous health partners and leaders in the community who have worked together to make this possible.”  The clinic will be operated by Interior Health and will serve the community while planning and construction for a permanent health facility proceeds over the next few years. The clinic offers physician visits, mental health and substance use services, home health and public health services, which have been prioritized to meet the needs of the community. It is open Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and services are supported by two physicians who see patients on a rotating basis and two registered nurses, who assess and co-ordinate care, along with support staff including an Aboriginal Patient Navigator position, which is in the recruitment process. The integration of additional health-care equipment and increased digital information sharing capacity will also support the expansion of health services over the next few months and years. “We’re very grateful to Lytton First Nation for making this possible and for working together with us to deliver health services in the area,” said Susan Brown, Interior Health president and CEO. “We want to also thank them for opening space within the Tl’kemtsin Health Centre for more than a year between May 2022 and August 2023 so that Interior Health could re-establish primary care services in the community and plan for this new temporary clinic after the 2021 wildfire. We look forward to our continued relationship with community and health partners as this project evolves.” Planning for the final phase of this project, a permanent health facility to replace the St. Bartholomew’s Health Centre, which was destroyed in the 2021 wildfire, is also underway and will be located within the Village of Lytton. “The opening of the temporary building is a welcomed event. Now the members of the Nlaka’pamux communities along with the Village of Lytton and others can look forward to the service delivery and support that is critically important to all,” said Debbie Abbott, executive director, Nlaka’pamux Nation Tribal Council. Interior Health has been engaging with community and health-care partners on re-establishing health services for the past year to ensure that ideas, concerns and questions are addressed and integrated into decision making around future services in the community. "Opening this temporary clinic is an important milestone in restoring medical services for all community members”, said Lytton mayor Denise O'Connor. "We look forward to being involved in discussions to plan for construction of Lytton's permanent health-care facility." Dr. Sushmita Shivkumar is one of the physicians supporting care in Lytton and has ties to the area, having worked in neighbouring Lillooet previous to her work in Lytton. "There are strong community links between the two areas. When this opportunity arose to provide health care in Lytton and be involved with the rebuilding of essential services, it was an easy choice,” said Dr. Shivkumar. The Lytton health services area is located within the Nlaka’pamux Nation and includes six Indigenous communities: Lytton First Nation, Kanaka Bar Indian Band, Nicomen Indian Band, Siska First Nation, Skuppah Indian Band, and Cook’s Ferry First Nation. Interior Health recognizes and acknowledges the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Nlaka’pamux Nation where this health services work is happening and is grateful for the ongoing conversations and partnerships with these communities. Video from the opening celebration:

The Province and public-health officials are taking actions to continue protecting people, communities and the health-care system this fall and are encouraging people in B.C. aged six months and older to get their COVID-19 and influenza vaccines. “An increase in hospital visits with the fall respiratory illness season requires measures to ensure our acute care is effective and our health-acare system is strong, and that’s exactly what we’re doing,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “We all know that getting immunized is the best way for us to protect ourselves, our loved ones and the B.C. health-care workers we rely on. We all know that to keep ourselves healthy and our health-care system strong, we all need to do our part. And by getting our free and readily available COVID-19 and influenza vaccines at the same time, we’re all doing precisely what’s needed.”  When the vaccines start to arrive in B.C. in early October, priority populations will be invited to book vaccine appointments. This includes people most at risk of severe illness and complications, such as seniors 65 and older, residents in long-term care facilities, Indigenous peoples, pregnant people and those with chronic health conditions (e.g., cancer, HIV, hepatitis C, diabetes), as well as health-care workers. Invitation for immunization appointments for everyone else will begin on Oct. 10, 2023, and people will be able to receive influenza and COVID-19 vaccines at the same time, if they wish. Invitations will roll out incrementally throughout the month of October. Vaccines will be readily available in many participating pharmacies, health-authority clinics, and some primary-care providers’ offices throughout the province. They remain free and are available for everyone six months and older, including enhanced influenza vaccines for seniors. "We are starting to see increasing respiratory virus infections in B.C., including COVID-19, and now is the time to remember the healthy habits we can all do to protect ourselves, our loved ones and our communities,” said Dr. Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer. “That includes covering your cough, cleaning your hands regularly, staying away from others if you have a cough or a fever, wearing masks if you have lingering symptoms or need extra protection and getting the updated COVID-19 and influenza vaccines. By getting immunized for both COVID-19 and influenza, we are not only protecting ourselves, but also those around us.” Health Canada approved the updated Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty Omicron XBB.1.5. COVID-19 vaccines on Sept. 28, 2023, and the COVID-19 Moderna Spikevax vaccine on Sept. 12, 2023, and they will be available in B.C. soon. The new vaccines target the XBB.1.5 subvariant and are approved for use in people six months and older. The updated Novavax vaccine is expected to be approved shortly and will also be available throughout the province. As respiratory infections are increasing in communities in B.C., the risk also increases in health-care facilities where people may be more at risk of severe infections or complications. To increase protections in health-care facilities in the province, medical mask wearing will be required by all health-care workers, volunteers, contractors and visitors in patient care areas starting Oct. 3, 2023. Long-term care visitors will be required to wear a medical mask when they are in common areas of the home and when participating in indoor events, gatherings, activities in communal areas of the care home or residence. Ambassadors will be at facility entrances to support screening for symptoms of respiratory illnesses, hand out medical masks, and ensure people clean their hands before entering. As fall and winter can add more strain to B.C.’s health-care system and to ensure hospitals have capacity in the event of increased demand during the respiratory season, plans are in place to add hospital beds and expediate patient flow as needed. This includes daily co-ordination planning between the Province, health authorities and the BC Emergency Health Services, as well as continuing efforts to strengthen the health-care system through B.C.’s Health Human Resources Strategy. Learn More: To view the presentation from Sept. 28, visit:https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/Fall_Immunization_Campaign_Sept2023.pdf To learn how to get vaccinated this fall, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/respiratory-illness    A backgrounder follows.