Thirty years ago, Shawn Penno moved from Kelowna to Armstrong to be with his now wife. He had been working as a manager in building products in Kelowna but missed being in health care. “Both my wife and her mom had been care aides, and I thought, it will take just six months of training to become a community health worker and then I’d go from there,” he says. “But I got into it, and I loved it.”

Salmon Arm and area residents are advised of temporary changes to lab hours at Shuswap Outpatient Lab due to flood damage repair and restoration.

Foundations in the Interior Region raise funds that support medical equipment, care needs, and innovative local initiatives in their communities. Each organization includes respected community leaders, volunteers and staff who are passionate about meeting the needs of patients and families in Interior Health. Thanks to the generosity of their supporters, we all have a stronger health system. 

Oliver and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at South Okanagan General Hospital due to limited physician availability.

Emergency services will be unavailable from 6 p.m. on Friday, March 1 until 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 2. Patients can access care at Penticton Regional Hospital during this time.

Name: Joanne Juras (she/her/hers)
Job Title: Public Health Nurse
Years of Service: 25
Worksite: Kamloops Public Health        
Community: Kamloops
Ancestral Territory: Tk’emlups te Secwepemc

New Denver and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at Slocan Community Health Centre  due to limited nursing availability.

Dr. Robert Halpenny has been appointed chair of Interior Health's board of directors, succeeding Dr. Doug Cochrane after his passing earlier this month.

Opened in July 2022, the nine-story Phil and Jennie Gaglardi Tower at Royal Inland Hospital (RIH) is a state-of-the-art facility that serves Kamloops and surrounding communities. 

Nestled just east of the Cascade Mountains along Highway 3, at the juncture of the Similkameen and Tulameen rivers, lies Princeton. The small town of just over 2,800—whose slogan is “Where rivers and friends meet”—is known for its forestry, mining and ranching, as well as outdoor pursuits like bird watching and fishing.

When it comes to caring for people who use substances, Dr. Lisa Heidt strives to support health-care staff to work smarter, not harder. For the past 15 years as an emergency department (ED) physician at the Vernon Jubilee Hospital (VJH), Dr. Heidt knows all too well how hard inpatient staff work in this busy hospital.