People who rely on Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital (KBRH) in Trail are advised that the main entrance will be closed from 6 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 1 to 7 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4 for minor remediation work to the concrete at this location. To allow for the construction, patients and visitors will temporarily be directed to the ambulance bay entrance at KBRH. Signage will be in place to direct people to this temporary alternate entrance. The emergency department entrance is not impacted by this work. Patients requiring care in the emergency department will continue to use the normal emergency department entrance. Interior Health thanks patients and visitor for their patience as ongoing improvements to the regional hospital continue.

More people living in Ashcroft and surrounding communities have increased access to team-based health care with a new urgent and primary care centre (UPCC) opening Sept. 27, 2022. The UPCC is at the same location as the old Ashcroft Hospital & Community Health Care Centre at 700 Ash-Cache Creek Highway. “A new UPCC in Ashcroft will offer people increased access to the health care they need, when they need it,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “With the support of local health-care teams and through community collaboration, we’re strengthening primary care services throughout the province. In Ashcroft, this means that more people can access same-day, everyday health care.”   The Ashcroft UPCC is gradually opening. It will first provide urgent primary care services, including connecting patients without a primary care provider to a family doctor or nurse practitioner. Starting Sept. 27, the Ashcroft UPCC is open seven days a week, 8 a.m. until 8 p.m., with nursing and allied health teams providing team-based primary care services. Urgent care services are available for people with non-life-threatening conditions who need to see a health-care provider within 12 to 24 hours but do not require an emergency department, such as sprains, cuts, high fevers and minor infections. The primary care services available at the UPCC include diagnosis and treatment for minor illnesses, as well as provision of harm-reduction supplies and education, reproductive care, vaccinations and injections, early detection, guideline-based chronic disease management, and co-ordination of services, referrals to community services, pre- and post-surgical care, and ongoing monitoring, including of medication. “Opening this UPCC in Ashcroft is the first of its kind in Interior Health to stabilize rural health care in a model that provides urgent primary care 12 hours per day close to home, while ensuring the network connection to Royal Inland Hospital when a higher level of care is required,” said Susan Brown, president and CEO, Interior Health. “I am also impressed with the recruitment of staff to support rural care; it indicates to me the passion health-care staff have for team-based rural medicine.” The Ashcroft UPCC is the 29th UPCC announced under government's primary care strategy. It is the result of close collaboration between the Ministry of Health, Interior Health, the Interior Rural and Remote Division of Family Practice, and local First Nations partners. It is a part of the Interior Rural Primary Care Network, and will be owned and operated by Interior Health. Quotes: Dr. John Soles, physician lead, Rural and Remote Division of Family Practice –  “The Rural and Remote Division of Family Practice recognizes the need for medical care in rural and Indigenous communities to be comprehensive, accessible and equitable. In the current rural primary care environment, community-centred, team-based care models are most likely to achieve this. We wish the Ashcroft UPCC success in bringing health care closer to this goal.” Michael Sandler, CEO, Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of BC – “Nurses and nurse practitioners of B.C. are pleased to see that the knowledge, skills and expertise of the entire health-care team will be utilized to improve access to health care for all British Columbians through urgent and primary care clinics. We believe that this approach will be pivotal in ensuring B.C. families can access health-care services, and we are excited to see the opening of another urgent and primary care clinic in B.C.” Learn More: To learn more about the Province's primary health-care strategy, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2018PREM0034-001010 To learn more about the Province's strategy to increase the number of nurse practitioners, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2018HLTH0034-000995 To learn more about the Province's strategy to recruit and retain more family medicine graduates, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2018HLTH0052-001043 Read 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.   View more toxic drug, environmental, and COVID-19 alerts

Keremeos and area residents are advised of a temporary change to outpatient laboratory hours at the South Similkameen Health Centre beginning Monday, Sept. 26, 2022 due to limited staffing availability. The South Similkameen Health Centre will be offering blood collection services on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., closed from 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. Limited walk-in service is available. People can book an appointment online at www.labonlinebooking.ca or by calling the Digital Health Support Desk at 1‑844-870-4756. The call centre is open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 pm. on weekends and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on statutory holidays.

New Denver and area residents are advised the emergency department at the Slocan Community Health Centre will not be open from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. on Sept. 17, 2022. The emergency department will resume regular hours on Sept. 18. Patients can access care at the 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 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 (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 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week.

Please see the attached document to learn more about the look, contamination, and risk associated with the current drug alert.   View more toxic drug, environmental, and COVID-19 alerts.

Please see the attached document to learn more about the look, contamination, and risk associated with the current drug alert.   View more toxic drug, environmental, and COVID-19 alerts

Interior Health and the City of Kelowna, along with the provincial Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions, are pleased to confirm the approval for the delivery of housing and supports for people with complex care needs living in the Central Okanagan. “Complex care housing is a groundbreaking approach for people with overlapping severe mental health and substance use challenges, who often have acquired brain injury,” said Sheila Malcolmson, B.C.’s Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. “B.C. funding up to 20 complex care spaces in Kelowna will connect people with the services they need, in these new homes, establishing stability and breaking the cycle of eviction and homelessness.” Multiple sites in the community will deliver complex care housing for up to 20 people. The housing and health-care supports will be provided by Interior Health professional staff and contracted service providers. “This is a significant step in the right direction and on behalf of Council we celebrate today’s news that our most vulnerable residents, who are potentially a harm to themselves or the public, will gain access to an increased level of care and housing,” said Colin Basran, Kelowna Mayor and Co-chair of the B.C. Urban Mayors’ Caucus. “I want to thank the Province, especially Minister Malcolmson, and Interior Health for today’s commitments. This announcement is a milestone for community health and safety in Kelowna, as we continue to see impacts related to mental health and problematic substance use. This model provides a health-centred approach to support those most vulnerable in our community, who will no longer need to shelter outside or rely as heavily on crisis and emergency services. We know that the need in Kelowna and the Okanagan region is great. There’s more work to do and we will continue our conversations and collaboration with the Province to build supports for those most in need in our community.” The new complex care spaces are expected to open this winter. The service model is consistent with Kelowna’s Journey Home Strategy and has shown to be suitable and effective in supporting people with complex needs. Interior Health will now work with community partners and the City to confirm locations and service providers. “A lack of safe and secure housing is a significant barrier for people with severe mental illness and substance use disorders,” said Susan Brown, Interior Health president and CEO. “By working with our partners to embed clinical health supports in these new homes, we will ensure our community’s most vulnerable people are able to receive the care they need when and where they need it.” Kelowna Council endorsed the City’s Complex Needs Advocacy Paper in July 2021 and has been a leading and consistent voice in the call for enhanced care and support for B.C. residents with the most complex health and mental health needs. It joins Interior Health, the Central Okanagan Journey Home Society, the BC Urban Mayors’ Caucus, and many other partners and municipalities in applauding the Provincial Government’s work in delivering a new model of care this year. This complex care model provides supportive housing with an emphasis on intensive clinical health supports available 24/7. The new model will serve community members with concurrent mental health and substance use disorders, acquired brain injuries, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, and developmental disabilities that often lead to challenges accessing housing as well as frequent use of crisis and emergency services.  “There are residents in Kelowna who are left to shelter outside, on the street because there’s no other place for them to go,” said Stephanie Gauthier, Central Okanagan Journey Home Society Executive Director. “We have a grave need for more housing locally, and a backlog of need for supportive housing, particularly for those with the most complex needs. This announcement will be transformational for our approach to homelessness and housing and speaks to the multiple-site model recommended in the Complex Needs Advocacy Paper. These new homes for up to 20 people with complex needs won’t solve homelessness in our community but it’s a big step in that direction.” For more information about complex needs and the City’s advocacy for greater care, visit Kelowna.ca/complex-needs. For information about mental health and substance use supports in the community, visit interiorhealth.ca or call 310-MHSU.

Keremeos and area residents are advised of a temporary change to emergency department hours at the South Similkameen Health Centre, due to limited nursing staff availability. Emergency services will be unavailable starting at 3:30 p.m. today, Sept. 6. The emergency department will resume regular hours at 8 a.m. tomorrow, Sept. 7. Patients can access care at Penticton Regional Hospital at 550 Carmi Ave. in Penticton. 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 (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 Keremeos is normally open Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.