Name: Tasha Kanigan (she/her/hers)
Job Title: Regional lead for primary care
Years of Service: 10
Worksite: Castlegar Health Centre
Community: Castlegar
Ancestral Territory: Converging territory of the Sinixt, Syilx, Ktunaxa, Secwepemc peoples in the Kootenay Boundary

Interior Health (IH) and the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions are preparing to open the first complex care housing locations in Kamloops and Kelowna in the weeks ahead.

Complex care housing has on-site health care and social supports designed for people who live with significant mental health and addiction and or medical challenges that result in difficulty finding and maintaining housing. Complex care housing in Kamloops and Kelowna will have 24/7 staff who support residents with comprehensive, person-centred services to meet their needs.

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. 

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.