Merritt and area residents are advised that the emergency department at Nicola Valley Hospital will be closed today until 8 a.m. tomorrow, Dec. 25 due to unforeseen limited physician availability.

Mary Larsen enjoys decorating her workplace, David Lloyd Jones care home, for the holidays.

We are IH is a recognition campaign to spotlight Interior Health employees and medical staff – through pictures and stories.

Name: Mary Larsen (she/her)

Job Title: Recreation Assistant

Years of Service: 4.5

Worksite: David Lloyd Jones care home

Community: Kelowna

Ancestral Territory: Syilx Okanagan

As COVID-19 cases increase in other areas of British Columbia, Interior Health is advising residents in the Interior Region to expect a similar increase in cases in their communities, and urging to take steps to minimize their risk to COVID-19.

Since launching earlier this fall, B.C.’s COVID-19 booster dose campaign has seen nearly 800,000 shots delivered into the arms of people across the province.

We have moved more quickly and accelerated our efforts in Interior Health to make booster shots available: in particular, for those over 65 and whose health conditions or other factors put them at greater risk of illness.

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.

Interior Health is seeking qualified health-care workers to provide COVID-19 immunizations and to provide support at immunization clinics throughout the region and are encouraged to reach out to Interior Health by visiting: ihimmunizers.myhealthinfo.ca

Thanks to fundraising efforts of the Kootenay Lake Hospital Foundation, ten years ago the hospital in Nelson started providing CT exams as part of their health-care services. And they’ve never looked back. 

In the first year of service, 2,300 CT exams were performed. Ten years later, the number of exams has doubled to more than 5,000 exams done annually. 

Podcasts about mental wellness are a great way to relax, learn something new, and find inspiration, all in a convenient and entertaining package. They are especially helpful during the dark cold days of winter when we can all use a lift.

There are also an increasing number of wellness-focused Apps available.

But the sheer number of these podcasts and Apps can make choosing overwhelming. There are thousands. Where to start?

We asked our Mental Health and Substance Use team for some recommendations. Here are their Staff Picks: 

Our social media platforms are a great way to engage with our Interior Health community and share information. Check out these recent posts, and consider sharing them with your friends and family on your own social channels. 

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