Name: Dr. Carol Ward (she/her/hers)
Job Title: Geriatric psychiatrist
Years of Service: 17
Worksite: Royal Inland Hospital
Community: Kamloops
Ancestral Territory: Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc
Advice to live by: Be curious.

Interior Health has been running a program that gives people who have lived with or have living experience with substance use the opportunity to get involved and share their voice.

IH’s Peer Inclusion and Engagement Project offers a variety of ways that people can share their expertise: through employment with IH as a Peer Support Worker, or through Peer Advisory Group and Peer Volunteer roles (both of which pay honorariums).

Exposure to radon gas is a preventable health risk. The only way to know the level of radon gas in your indoor environment is to test for it. 

We encourage residents living, working and playing in the B.C. Interior region to test for radon in their homes, places of work and indoor leisure environments.

Exposure to radon gas is a preventable health risk. The only way to know the level of radon gas in your indoor environment is to test for it. We encourage residents living, working and playing in the B.C. Interior region to test for radon in your homes, places of work and indoor leisure environments.

What is radon?

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas without colour or odour. It comes from the ground, and it often enters and stays in buildings with low ventilation. Radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking.

Supports to add more frontline Grand Forks health-care workers are now available through the Ministry of Health and Interior Health (IH) to address ongoing critical staffing challenges.

“Grand Forks faces unique challenges to staffing which require community-based solutions and thinking outside the box,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “These incentives are an important step towards bringing best practices from around the province to Grand Forks and stabilizing local health services people in the area expect and deserve.”

As the toxic drug crisis continues, Interior Health in collaboration with local prescribers has implemented a new model to help connect people in the East Kootenay region who have opioid use disorder with opioid agonist treatments (OAT), such as methadone and Suboxone.

There are two upcoming appointment-only immunization pop-up clinics scheduled in West Kelowna on Nov. 23 and 30, where children ages six months to 11 years old and families can receive their COVID-19 and influenza (flu) immunizations. Only one appointment is needed for your family.

Clinic details:

An immunization pop-up clinic is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 20 in Lake Country for residents and people in surrounding communities to receive their COVID-19 and influenza (flu) immunizations without having a booked appointment. The clinic is for all people ages six months and older, and families can get vaccinated together.

Clinic details:

Name: Christine Olmstead (she/her/hers)
Job Title: Operations knowledge coordinator
Years of Service: 15
Worksite: CHSC
Community: Central Okanagan
Ancestral Territory: Central Okanagan
Advice to live by: You cannot control others’ actions; you can only control your own reaction.

Public health officials with Interior Health (IH) remind everyone there is still time to get your influenza vaccine (flu shot) and those six months and older are eligible.

It’s easier than ever to get immunity for your community. Influenza vaccinations are free for everyone in B.C. six months of age or older, to best protect themselves, their loved ones, their communities and the health-care system this fall and winter.