Merritt and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at Nicola Valley Hospital due to a physician vacancy from 7 a.m. Monday, March 13 to 8 a.m. on Tuesday, March 14.

Emergency services will be unavailable and patients can access care at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops. Emergency department services will be available again in Merritt at 8 a.m. Tuesday, March 14.

The toxic drug crisis disproportionately affects Aboriginal Peoples. But accessing much needed health care continues to pose challenges for Aboriginal Peoples due to systemic racism and the lack of culturally safe care.

Merritt and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at Nicola Valley Hospital due to a physician vacancy from 8 a.m. Friday, March 10 to 8 a.m. on Saturday, March 11.

Emergency services will be unavailable and patients can access care at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops. Emergency department services will be available again in Merritt at 8 a.m. Saturday, March 11.

Name: Fiona Bradford (she/her/hers) 
Job Title: Social work professional practice leader
Years of Service: 6
Worksite: East Kootenay Regional Hospital
Community: East Kootenay region – between Invermere, Kimberley, and Cranbrook
Ancestral Territory: I live and work between the Ktunaxa and Secwepemc territories 

We know that representation matters in health care. Women play an integral role in teams within Interior Health sites, departments, projects, and education. At every level, there are contributions made by women to improve the health and well-being of our communities.

Women hold a number of key leadership roles at Interior Health including president & CEO, as members of the board of directors, and medical chiefs of staff. More than 1,000 of the physicians working at health-care facilities in our region are women.

Four teens have won Interior Health’s Take a Breath: Teen Voices on Tobacco and Vaping poster contest. Each winner will receive a $150 gift card of their choice. The winning posters are being professionally printed, displayed in hospitals and health centres, and shared with schools throughout the region.

Four teens have won Interior Health’s Take a Breath: Teen Voices on Tobacco and Vaping poster contest. Each winner will receive a $150 gift card of their choice. The winning posters are being professionally printed, displayed in hospitals and health centres, and shared with schools throughout the region.

Interior Health is urging people to be prepared and extremely cautious in the backcountry, with continued high and considerable avalanche danger forecasted in many areas of the B.C Interior.

Name: Kevin Miskosky (he/him/his)
Job Title: Maintenance Worker
Years of Service: 32
Worksite: Gateby Care Facility
Community: Vernon
Ancestral Territory: Syilx Nation
Favourite Quote / Advice to live by: “Do it once, do it right.” - Anonymous

In February at Interior Health, we honour Black History Month and the vast contributions our Black employees have made and continue to make throughout our health-care system. 

As Black History Month comes to a close, we spoke with several Black Interior Health employees about the struggles, barriers and journeys they have experienced, and the importance of celebrating Black history beyond February and educating ourselves about Black history.