Work is underway for an updated and expanded Cariboo Memorial Hospital, which will improve access to care for people in Williams Lake and surrounding Cariboo-Chilcotin area, including the First Nations of the Secwépemc, Tŝ ilhqot’in and Dãkelh Dené. “The redevelopment of the Cariboo Memorial Hospital represents a significant investment in the Cariboo-Chilcotin communities’ health and well-being, now and into the future,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “That is why it is so exciting to be with the community today to celebrate the start of construction that will increase the hospital’s capacity and provide a modern working environment.” The project includes a three-storey addition, as well as renovations to the existing facility. The redevelopment will add 25 new beds for a total of 53. This includes a new medical/surgical inpatient unit with 36 beds (an increase of 16), a new mental-health and substance-use inpatient unit with eight single-occupancy rooms, a patient-seclusion room and an expanded ambulatory-care and oncology unit with 16 renovated treatment spaces.   There will be a new emergency department with 23 treatment spaces (an increase of 12), two trauma-treatment bays, a seclusion room, an ambulance carport and a separate public entrance. As well, the new addition will have an expanded maternity and women’s health unit with four single-occupancy rooms for maternity care, two nursery rooms and two women’s health beds in private rooms. The maternity area will allow parents to stay in the same room with their babies until they are ready to go home. The pharmacy will be expanded, providing additional space for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. An interfaith sacred space will allow for traditional cultural and healing practices. There will be 71 new parking stalls. “Our government is taking action to help people who are facing challenges accessing care in rural and remote areas,” said Jennifer Rice, Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Health. “This fully redeveloped hospital will provide expanded access to a state-of-the-art facility for people in Cariboo-Chilcotin to help them get the services they need.” Construction will happen in two phases. The first phase, which will include the three-storey addition, is expected to finish in 2026. Phase 2 will start after that, will include further renovations and is scheduled to be complete in 2029. “Beginning construction on the redevelopment of Cariboo Memorial Hospital is a significant milestone. I know the people of Williams Lake and surrounding communities are looking forward to the expansion and the improvements to health services the upgraded hospital will bring,” said Susan Brown, president and CEO, Interior Health. “I am grateful for the contributions from our First Nations partners in the design of the new building. It is such a well-planned space that will benefit not only patients and their families, but also Interior Health staff and physicians.” The project budget is $366.5 million and will be shared between the Province, Interior Health and the Cariboo Chilcotin Regional Hospital District. “It’s exciting to see construction start on the Cariboo Memorial Hospital upgrade, which will provide our region, health workers and residents with a modern new facility,” said Al Richmond, chair, Cariboo Chilcotin Regional Hospital District. “I express my thanks to Minister Dix and Interior Health for their continued support and effort to make this project happen.” Read the original release from BC Gov News

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.

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.

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

A fourth medical simulation centre has opened in Interior Health (IH) at Penticton Regional Hospital (PRH) in partnership with the University of British Columbia Southern Medical Program. “It’s welcome news this fourth simulation centre will enhance patient care across the Interior region by providing health-care professionals and students with the opportunity to learn from realistic, safe medical scenarios,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. Simulation programs are designed to create medical scenarios providing health-care professionals and students with the most realistic experience for learning and refining procedures, patient care and team dynamics while in a safe environment. Simulation centres allow inter-professional teams to work together to practice, ideally in a similar environment with their own equipment, while also utilizing manikins, actors and more to help re-create major incidents. “Simulation exercises create an environment for research to enhance the quality of our patient care and safety. Through simulation, we want to promote collaboration and learning so that participants are truly achieving excellence in health-care delivery,” said Dr. Jared Baylis, medical director for the Interior Health simulation program and medical education simulation lead for the Southern Medical Program. “Exercises can help strengthen skills and team communication, prompt reviews of specific protocols and may encourage teams to make changes to optimize workflow, space design and much more.” In October 2022, the IH/UBC Simulation Program became the only program in B.C. to be accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. The program also offers many sessions accredited by the UBC Continuous Professional Development program, earning Continuous Medical Education credits for practising physicians and medical staff. The simulation program started in 2009 in the Kootenays with rural physician Dr. Jeff Plant and clinical nurse educator Eve Burkart to support their rural colleagues in providing best-practice quality care to patients experiencing high-risk, low-frequency events such as cardiac arrest or trauma. Although an emerging educational tool at the time, the program quickly gained traction and was mobilized to support rural emergency departments throughout the IH network. “It’s been fantastic to see this program grow from its beginnings in the Kootenay region to where we are now,” said Eve Burkart, clinical practice nurse educator with Interior Health. “Simulation greatly benefits the medical staff, students and the teams they work with as they gain exposure to a range of patient events that they might not see regularly during residencies and rotations. This team focus was, and continues to be, particularly important in rural areas. Simulation provides specific experiences and training to strengthen the provision of evidence-based care without any risk to a patient.” In addition to the new Penticton centre, Interior Health has the Pritchard Simulation Centre in Kelowna, the Rae Fawcett Simulation Centre in Kamloops, the Kootenay Boundary Simulation Program in Trail, and the IH Rural Mobile Simulation Program that travels to 29 rural and regional sites. “Simulation provides essential training that can really improve patient quality and safety. It's highly beneficial to learn and practice with real-life scenarios that includes all team members,” said Dr. Devin Harris, executive medical director, quality and patient safety, Interior Health. “Clinicians can learn and gain confidence and expertise in a supportive environment. This preparation will pay dividends for when an event does occur and will lead to healthier communities in the Interior.” Interior Health, UBC Faculty of Medicine, and UBC Okanagan School of Nursing have embarked on this partnership to implement, operationalize and provide simulation education throughout the Interior Health region. The joint collaborative nature of the program allows the development of comprehensive patient curriculum for the benefit of staff, students and clinical practitioners who are located and practice within the geographic boundaries of Interior Health.

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

Interior Health and Thompson Region Division of Family Practice are pleased to announce that the Thompson Region Family Obstetrics (TRFO) clinic will begin accepting new referrals for expectant parents starting next week.   “This clinic is a vital resource for new and expecting families in Kamloops and surrounding communities who require access to local maternity care,” said Minister of Health Adrian Dix. “I want to applaud all the efforts that allowed these services to resume.” Collaborative efforts between the Ministry of Health, Thompson Region Division of Family Practice, local maternity care providers, and Interior Health have addressed concerns related to the stability of the clinic, which resulted in a temporary interruption to referrals for new expectant parents. The TRFO clinic provides care for parents and families in Kamloops and surrounding communities, like Merritt, Barriere, Ashcroft, Lillooet, Lytton, and Clearwater starting from early pregnancy up to six weeks following the birth of their babies. The clinic supports on average about 600 to 700 deliveries per year.  “Interior Health knows how important access to stable, quality care is for expectant parents and families,” said Susan Brown, Interior Health President and CEO. “We are committed to working with all partners to ensure this clinic is successful moving forward and to keeping patients at the heart of all these discussions.”  The TRFO clinic will start accepting new referrals next week, and work collaboratively with the newly opened antenatal care clinic to ensure timely access to care for expectant parents.  “TRFO physicians believe that the support provided by IH and the Ministry of Health for the clinic will help to ensure its ongoing sustainability,” said Dr. Shaun Davis, co-lead of the TRFO physician group. “We are optimistic that the supports put in place will allow for the permanent recruitment of family doctors who work in obstetrical care. The collaboration with the antenatal care clinic will ensure timely access to all maternity services in Kamloops.” The Thompson Region Family Obstetrics clinic is located on the first floor of the Clinical Services Building at Royal Inland Hospital. It is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and offers 24-hour call shifts.