People living with alcohol or opioid use disorder now have a way to directly and quickly access addiction medicine specialists.

Anyone can now refer themselves to Interior Health’s Virtual Addiction Medicine (VAM) Clinic using a simple web form. The form, available at www.interiorhealth.ca/vam, lets people easily request an appointment to meet with an addiction medicine specialist. Family and friends can also refer someone provided the person being referred is aware and agrees.

For caregivers supporting loved ones affected by substance use, the journey can feel like a lonely one. Whether a mom, dad, grandparent, spouse, sibling or friend, caregivers shoulder worry, shame, guilt and despair.

100 Mile House and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at 100 Mile District General Hospital due to limited physician availability.

Williams Lake and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at Cariboo Memorial Hospital.  

Merritt and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at the Nicola Valley Hospital and Health Centre in Merritt B.C. due to limited physician availability.   

Emergency services will be unavailable from 7 a.m. on Sunday, September 1 to 8 a.m. on Monday, September 2, 2024. Patients can access care at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops during this time. 

Update: Patients can access care at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops or at GR Baker Memorial Hospital in Quesnel. See update, issued Aug. 31, 2024 at 8:25 p.m.

Lillooet and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at Lillooet Hospital and Health Centre due to limited physician availability.

Emergency services will be unavailable from 7 a.m. on Saturday, August 31 to 8 a.m. on Sunday, September 1, 2024. Patients can access care at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops during this time.

Oliver and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at South Okanagan General Hospital

100 Mile House and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at 100 Mile District

On Thursday, July 25, Interior Health started a precautionary evacuation of residents of The Pavilion long-term care home in New Denver.

Nearby Silverton—a small town of 200 on Slocan Lake—had already been issued an evacuation order the day before due to the advancing Aylwin Creek fire. By mid-afternoon on July 25, New Denver was on an evacuation alert.