Temporary service interruption at South Okanagan General Hospital emergency department

1 minute

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

Emergency services will be unavailable from 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9 until 8 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 10 and patients can access care at Penticton Regional Hospital.

How to talk about suicide, listen & connect people with help

2 minutes

Talking about suicide – starting the conversation, listening, providing support, and connecting people with help – can be difficult and even scary, but it’s important to help prevent suicide and end the stigma surrounding it. 

If you’re worried about someone, don’t be afraid to tell them; talking about suicide doesn’t make them more likely to do it, and they may be relieved to have someone who cares to talk to. 

If the individual tells you they have a plan to end their life, stay with them until you connect them with supports.

Temporary service interruption at Nicola Valley Hospital emergency department

1 minute

Merritt and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at Nicola Valley Hospital due to limited staffing availability.

From 10 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 7 to 7 a.m. Friday, Sept 8, 2023, emergency department services will be unavailable and patients can access care at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops.

Interior Health supporting evacuees returning to Parkside Community in Chase

2 minutes

Interior Health has begun to support the return of residents to Parkside Community in Chase now that evacuation alerts for that area associated with the Bush Creek East wildfire have been rescinded.

Repatriation will occur gradually and carefully to ensure appropriate staffing and resources are in place when residents return to their homes.

Paper People poem and video honours those lost to poisonous drugs

5 minutes

In 2021, 263 paper medical charts were shipped to East Kootenay Regional Hospital where they were placed in the basement. The charts belonged to people who had died from toxic drugs, and were sent to the hospital for a project designed to better understand and address the failure of systems to prevent these deaths.

Alison Ko, who was at the time a long-term Interior Health employee, joined the project team which needed someone with a nursing background.