Stories Listing Page

Visit YOUR new www.InteriorHealth.ca for quick and easy access to health information in B.C.’s interior region. This website includes features designed to connect you to Interior Health services and locations in your area. Health alerts will let you know if there is something you need to be aware of, from natural disasters to toxic drug alerts or vaccine updates. And you can subscribe for news and information delivered right to your inbox. Looking for something else? Check out the search feature (click on the magnifying glass at the top right of the screen) to get immediate access to health information, contact details and more. Person-centred design To get it right, we called on the experts and reached out to people like you to tell us how this new website should look, work and feel. A public advisory group shared ideas on the website appearance, user experience, and navigation. Public members also worked alongside health-care experts, to identify the information that needs to be included. Public members on the project steering committee ensured the public perspective was always part of the decision-making process. The general public and other health-care organizations also contributed their ideas through a public survey, discovery workshops and focus groups. Thanks to the efforts of these dedicated public members, we have a website designed for the public, by the public. These are some of the people who gave their time and ideas to this website. Thank you! Looking for health stories? Please visit us at www.InteriorHealth.ca.

Our new website is search friendly. We understand that everyone likes to search for information differently, and we have organized the content and have developed our search options accordingly. Using our website menu Our navigation menu was organized strategically to streamline information and make it easy to find. If you’re looking for general health information:  You can navigate through our Health & Wellness menu, which contains secondary menu groupings such as Accessing Care Through Technology, Environmental Health & Hazards, Healthy Living and Substance Use & Addiction. We also have a comprehensive About IH menu section to learn more about  IH programs, services, career opportunities, and more If you’re looking for health information targeted toward a specific audience: You can navigate through our Information For menu to find specially selected content for different audiences. Some of the audiences in this menu are Aboriginal Communities, Businesses, Community Partners, Medical Staff, Parents & Guardians, Patients & Visitors and Seniors. There are also targeted menu options on our website for people looking to Get Involved or explore Career opportunities, including student opportunities. Using our website search function If your first instinct in this age of search engines is to click on the search icon, we have got you covered. Our advanced search feature was designed to replicate the experience of search engines like Google.  You can search: By category Using one of your recently searched terms By popular topic By quick links You will even receive suggestions as you type: Using a search engine You can easily search for content on our website without entering it first. On all of our pages, we have included labels to communicate what the page content is about on search engines like Google. This means that when you’re searching for certain types of health-care information a search engine, results will be displayed for our webpages that have relevant content on this topic. We’re effectively using keywords to capture what the page content is about, while also taking into consideration how users search, and what phrases they’re likely to use. All these measures will help you find our pages from search engines. Explore other great website features There are many enhanced features on our new website. Check out these posts highlighting some of them: New Interior Health public website features unique on-page navigation Find services & locations easily on new website

IH delivers programs and services to people across B.C.'s Southern Interior through facilities such as hospitals, clinics and community care homes. The new IH public-centred website includes advanced search functions to connect you with services (Find a Service) and locations (Find a Location). These functions replicate the experience of searching through a search engine like Google. Many options to search You have many options to conduct your service or location search. You can search by: Keyword Category Location Distance Our services and locations have been tagged and categorized appropriately to help connect your search to relevant results. Results will appear below (you can pick list or grid view) or you can use the map to view results (more on that in the next section). Search visually through our map function One of the exciting features of our new location and search function is the visual map, which creates a similar experience to browsing through Google Maps. After conducting a search, click on the “Show Map” button and you’ll see icons representing locations and services. You can click “Hide Map” if you’re finished browsing. Once you click on an icon, you’ll be presented with the location title (linked directly to the location page) and the address/contact information for that location. If you are searching for a service, the service name will be above the location name in brackets (linked directly to the service page). Showing results based on your current location (geolocation) When you visit our website, you will be asked if you would like to reveal your current location. If you accept, your location will automatically be inputted into the address field when you search for a service or location, making it easy for you services/locations close to you. When you have the map open, you can click on the blue target icon to visually highlight your current location.   Explore other great website features There are many amazing features on our new website. Check out these posts highlighting some of them: Many easy ways to search on IH’s new person-centred public website  New Interior Health public website features unique on-page navigation

It’s easy to “explore” content on our new person-centred website When you visit a website you can navigate to a page by clicking on a navigation bar or by navigating through options on the menu. But what about when you get to the page itself? One of the unique features of Interior Health’s new website is called Explore This Page, which allows you to navigate to any section on a particular page and access the information you are looking for.  How “Explore this page” works At the top of many content pages, you’ll notice the “Explore this page” drop-down menu: Clicking on this will open up a menu that lets you jump to certain sections of the page, helping you access the exact information you’re looking for. The great thing about this function is the accuracy of the in-page links. In addition, we often use expandable lines of text called accordions within sections so that you can quickly access the information you need within the section. From your mobile device you will be able to quickly scan through a section without having to scroll. Quick access to the information you need with “Explore this page” There are times where you will be directed to one of our webpages from a social media post, or even from hyperlinked text in another one of our webpages. With the “Explore this page” function you are directed right to the exact section of the page you need to get to. For example, check out these direct links to: Board profiles on our Board of Directors page Opioid Agonist Treatment (OAT) information on our Overdose Prevention & Treatment page Food safety information on our Food Premises page Check out other great website features There are many enhanced features on our new website. Check out these posts highlighting some of them: Many easy ways to search on IH’s new person-centred public website  Find services & locations easily on new website

We are IH is a recognition campaign to spotlight Interior Health employees and medical staff – through pictures and stories. Name: Nikole Johnson Job Title: Care Aide Years of Service: One year Worksite: Talarico Place Community: Castlegar Ancestral Territory: Ktunaxa (Tun-ah-hah)/Kootenay Ktunaxa Favourite Quote: "Be kind, always!" -Unknown With a year under her belt, Nikole Johnson has discovered that being a care aide is more than as depicted. Her favourite thing about the job is seeing residents' faces light up when they see her after a few weeks off. She loves spending downtime interacting with those in her care: "It's always my honour to be involved in the stories they share about their lives." "Working as a care aide while in nursing school has inspired me to continue practicing the fundamentals of health care, which always come back to compassion and kindness." Nikole's proudest moments happen when she's able to make connections with residents and other staff members. She admits to being a bit shy: "It takes a bit of time to come out of my shell." Nikole feels comfortable and supported at her workplace, which helps her form better relationships with those in her care. Nikole's favourite hike around the Kootenays - Kokanee Creek A fourth-year nursing student with the University of Victoria at Selkirk College, Nikole looks forward to continuing her position as a care aide while she finishes school and, hopefully, moves in to a new position with IH after graduation in 2022. Nikole would love to work in either community or maternity nursing. Who knows what the future will bring! To enjoy the beautiful landscapes around Castlegar, Nikole enjoys going on walks with her two small dogs and getting in exercise. She also loves art, and creates her own realistic portrait drawings and acrylic paintings. One of Nikole's favourite paintings, inspired by Bob Ross Nikole's nomination keeps the We Are IH loop going: Abby Murphy: “Abby will be starting her second year of nursing school at Selkirk College! She was so helpful when I first got hired, and really made me feel comfortable. She took the time to get to know me and made sure that no questions went unanswered." - Nikole Johnson Stay updated with careers at Interior Health Facebook  |   Instagram  |   LinkedIn

Community members who use drugs continue to die from an increasingly toxic and unregulated drug supply. Even occasional users can – and do – experience fatal overdoses.  The City of Penticton has been one of the hardest hit communities in the Interior region, with a fatal overdose rate of 59.3 deaths for every 100,000 people (BC Coroner’s Service, January-August 2021). By comparison, the fatal overdose rate for the entire Interior Health region over the same period is 41.9 deaths for every 100,000 people. Fighting the stigma that surrounds the use of substances is one of the most important ways to combat the devastating reality of this poisoned drug crisis. The BC Coroners Service reports that many overdose deaths occur when people use substances alone. Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s Chief Medical Health Officer, states in her 2019 report about stigma that “Stigma can drive avoidance or delay of health care” and prevent people from seeking services or even disclosing their substance use – resulting in more people using drugs alone and dying from overdose. The report says: “People and institutions with resources and power … influence what is considered to be ‘normal’ and ‘acceptable.’ ” The City of Penticton recognizes the importance of anti-stigma education to help change the norm and has collaborated with Interior Health on a number of initiatives to help raise awareness in hopes of decreasing stigma within the community. In August 2021, the City introduced a new series of overdose prevention articles in its community newsletter; this newsletter is distributed alongside each resident’s monthly utility bill. On Aug. 31, Overdose Awareness Day was recognized, and opioid crisis education and Take-Home-Naloxone training was offered to the public at Penticton’s Gyro Park. This same day, the City launched three anti-stigma training modules, created by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, for all City employees. Monthly in-person harm reduction and Take-Home-Naloxone training sessions are also being offered for all City staff and Council. One staff member commented that the courses have made them realize how much language matters when talking about substance use disorders, and it has changed how they discuss the topic with others. “This is a complex issue and requires a community response. I work closely with City staff as well as community partners in my role and it is really encouraging to see this type of action taking place as we continue to see high rates of toxic drug deaths. Breaking down stigma helps remove barriers to care,” says Tanya Osborne, Interior Health Community Health Facilitator. Through collaboration with the health authority and other agencies, the City is working hard to increase overdose prevention awareness and decrease stigma in the community. If your community wants to take a similar approach, please reach out to your local Community Health Facilitator for support or send us an email at hbe@interiorhealth.ca. People who use drugs in Penticton are encouraged to have their drugs tested. Drop-off or in-person testing services are available at several locations.