Merritt and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at Nicola Valley Hospital due to unanticipated limited physician availability as of 8:30 a.m. today.

Emergency services will be unavailable and patients can access care at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops. Emergency department services will be available again at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 17, 2023.

Story by Jacqueline Turvey, primary care respiratory therapist 

Quitting smoking can add years to your life. It improves your breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, taste and smell, and has financial benefits as well. 

However, as a clinician, I often remind myself that it is not my responsibility to make people quit or reduce their tobacco and nicotine use. It is my job to support individuals at all stages to achieve their goals, and for those who may not be ready for change, to let them know that I am there for them if and when they change their mind.

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.

Name: Lauren Phillips (she/her/hers)
Job Title: Interim clinical operations manager
Years of Service: 10
Worksite: Hillside Centre
Community: Kamloops
Ancestral Territory: Secwépemc
Advice to live by: Just breathe

Merritt and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at Nicola Valley Hospital due to limited nursing availability.

From 6:30 p.m. Sunday, January 8 to 7 a.m. Monday, January 9, emergency services will be unavailable and patients can access care at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops or Kelowna General Hospital.

Name: Franz Huber (he/him/his)
Job Title: Registered Nurse (RN)
Years of Service: 25
Worksite: Rutland Community Dialysis Clinic
Community: Kelowna
Ancestral Territory: Syilx Okanagan
Advice to live by: Work hard and be disciplined, but also have fun, and spread love and kindness

During the colder months it’s important to stay active and get fresh air. It’s also important to use caution in snowy or icy conditions to prevent injury from slipping or falling. You also need to be careful when shovelling your driveway.

Name: Shannon Carver (she/her/hers)
Job Title: Director, Medical Imaging Okanagan
Years of Service: 25
Worksite: Penticton Regional Hospital
Community: Penticton
Ancestral Territory: Syilx Okanagan
Favourite Quote / Advice to live by: Always try to look at the bright side of life – as staying positive is infectious.

A bus accident on the Okanagan Connector (Highway 97C) in the early evening of Dec 24 resulted in 52 patients transported to four Interior Health hospitals.

Upon arrival 36 patients were assessed and treated for injuries that ranged from serious to minor.

As of 9:30 a.m. today, eight patients remained in the care of hospitals in Penticton, Kelowna and Kamloops. For those remaining in hospital, two are in serious condition and two have non-life threatening injuries.

Keremeos and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at South Similkameen Health Centre due to limited nursing availability.

From 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 24, emergency services will be unavailable and patients can access care at Penticton Regional Hospital.

During this time, all other community health services will continue as normal at the South Similkameen Health Centre.