New Denver and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at Slocan Community Health Centre due to limited physician availability.

From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 20, emergency services will be unavailable and patients can access care at the Arrow Lakes Hospital at 97 1st Ave. NE, Nakusp.

People in the community who need care due to life-threatening emergency (i.e., chest pains, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding) should always call 911 for transport to the nearest available and appropriate facility. 

Merritt and area residents are advised that effective 1 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 20, emergency department hours at Nicola Valley Hospital will resume as normal.  

People in the community 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.

Oliver and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at South Okanagan General Hospital (SOGH) due to limited physician availability.

From midnight to 8 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 19, emergency services will be unavailable and patients can access care at Penticton Regional Hospital.

During this time, all other inpatient services will continue as normal at South Okanagan General Hospital.

Ashcroft and area residents are advised of temporary changes to hours at the Ashcroft Urgent and Primary Care Centre (UPCC) due to limited nursing availability.

On Sunday, Dec. 18, services will be unavailable and patients can access care at Royal Inland Hospital at 311 Columbia Street in Kamloops.

Anyone can call HealthLink BC at 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 Ashcroft UPCC is normally open 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. seven days a week.

New Denver and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at Slocan Community Health Centre due to limited physician availability.

Starting 8 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 17 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18, emergency services will be unavailable, and patients can access care at the Arrow Lakes Hospital at 97 1st Ave. NE, Nakusp.

People in the community who need care due to life-threatening emergency (i.e., chest pains, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding) should always call 911 for transport to the nearest available and appropriate facility.  

Name: Kathy Smith (she/her/hers)
Job Title: Administrative Services
Years of Service: 15
Worksite: East Shore Community Health Centre
Community: East Shore/Crawford Bay and Surrounding Communities
Ancestral Territory: Kootenay/Ktunaxa
Favourite Quote / Advice to live by: The best gift you can give someone is your time.

Connie Griffin works in administrative services at the West Kelowna Health Centre. One of the volunteers she's worked with since 2001, Ingrid Hawthorne, now in her late 80s, retired at the end of November. Ingrid originally began volunteering in the baby clinic where she would greet the parent, get the baby checked in, and record their weight and measurements.

This role has changed many times over the years, and now volunteers mostly act as greeters. Ingrid also volunteered at influenza clinics, greeting and registering people or being the line-up traffic director.

For many people, one of the best things about the holidays is the food.

From the scrumptious side dishes of creamy mashed potatoes, to the decadent desserts of apple pies and all the laughs in between. Yet, the holidays can get so busy with shopping, entertaining, decorating and going out to celebrate that we often forget to take time to relax and enjoy the season.

It is helpful to take time to pause and reflect. This reflection is sometimes referred to as mindfulness.

Name: Diane Betman (she/her/hers)
Job Title: Clinical Practice Educator
Years of Service: 15
Worksite: Vernon Jubilee Hospital
Community: Vernon
Ancestral Territory: Syilx Okanagan
Favourite Quote / Advice to live by: “Don’t go through life, grow through life.” – Eric Butterworth

“Mommy, Mommy, make it stop!”
“Make what stop?”
“It’s loud. They’re yelling!”
“Shhhhh, sweetie, no one is yelling.”
“Stop, stop, aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh.”

It’s 7 a.m. and, after I spent the night treating her high fevers, Marissa is finally feeling better but is suddenly terrified by what she’s hearing.

Most parents would be similarly terrified while seeing their child in such distress; flailing, yelling and confused. Not me. As an emergency doctor I have seen many other kids hallucinating these last few weeks while sick with Influenza A.