Interior Health re-establishing coronary care service at Royal Inland Hospital

Interior Health (IH) is re-establishing coronary care services at Royal Inland Hospital (RIH) early in 2027.

Four designated coronary care beds – which provide patients with an advanced level of care including continuous monitoring and treatment for a variety of cardiac illnesses – will be integrated within RIH’s intensive care unit (ICU), leveraging existing critical care infrastructure to provide safe, sustainable care.

“Re-establishing coronary care at Royal Inland Hospital is a significant improvement for patients and families across the Interior,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. “It will allow more people to receive specialized cardiac care in Kamloops, with better continuity, less travel and strong connections to B.C.’s broader cardiac care network. This reflects our commitment to improving access and building a more connected, resilient health system.”

To support the re-opening, IH is investing in enhanced cardiac care education for new coronary care staff, and recruitment efforts continue to meet the needs of local and regional patients.

“RIH has highly skilled cardiac teams providing 24/7 care for patients in the Thompson Cariboo Shuswap region,” said Diane Shendruk, IH VP Clinical Operations. “Re-opening these coronary care beds is an important step forward and part of a broader strategy to increase critical care capacity at RIH. These efforts build employee expertise by investing in targeted education and development, creating a sustainable internal pipeline of coronary care unit staffing. This is supported by ongoing recruitment of nursing staff.”

This change maintains overall bed capacity at the hospital while providing patient care in the most appropriate setting.

“The approach allows us to provide high-quality, patient-centred care for our sickest cardiac patients at Royal Inland Hospital. It will improve the flow of critically ill cardiac patients through the hospital, getting them the right care in the right location,” said Dr. Nicole Desforges, senior medical director of acute services for Kamloops.

IH will continue to utilize equipment provided through ICCHA/Wish and the Royal Inland Hospital Foundation to support patients in the re-opened coronary care beds. IH acknowledges and appreciates the generosity of donors who have contributed to this important service.

While this work takes place, coronary care patients will continue to receive the care they need at RIH based on their individual needs.

IH will provide additional updates as more information is available and appreciates the ongoing commitment of our cardiac teams, key partners and the community to local cardiac services.