South Similkameen Health Centre restoring Tuesday emergency service

Interior Health (IH) is restoring Tuesday emergency service hours at the South Similkameen Health Centre (SSHC) in Keremeos, improving access to care in the community following successful physician recruitment.

Starting Sept. 21, SSHC will provide emergency services each week from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.

Emergency services at SSHC remain unavailable on Thursdays, weekends and statutory holidays. Patients can seek care at the Penticton Urgent and Primary Care Centre or Penticton Regional Hospital during these times.

All other inpatient services at South Similkameen Health Centre will continue without interruption.

IH continues to work closely with physicians and our community and health partners to sustain and improve health services. We will provide further updates to the community as information becomes available.

People in Keremeos seeking a primary care provider should visit healthlinkbc.ca and register for the Health Connect Registry. Registration takes less than five minutes and helps connect residents with physicians and nurse practitioners in their community.

People 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 811, or visit www.HealthLinkBC.ca for non-emergency health information from nurses, dietitians and pharmacists 24 hours a day, seven days per week.