Andrea* walks into the pharmacy sporting casual clothes and sneakers, a purse slung over her shoulder. Small jewellery studs dot her face, and her warm, friendly face is framed by a short bob. For the past two years, Andrea has been coming to this pharmacy two to three times a week to have her fentanyl patches changed by a registered nurse. Since she started the fentanyl patch program—under a broader program known as prescribed safer supply—she’s gone from living in a tent city in Kelowna to full-time employment, owning a car and renting a place of her own. *Name changed to protect client's privacy and identity.

Thousands of volunteers of all ages work alongside our staff across the Interior Health region. Volunteers complement the care provided by our professionals, and are welcomed, respected and valued members of the IH care team. The incredible work, kindness and dedication of our volunteers make a huge difference in delivering outstanding care and positive experiences to the people we serve. We would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to all our volunteers across IH for supporting our patients, our visitors and our staff. This National Volunteer Week, we are celebrating volunteers all around IH and would like to introduce you to two outstanding volunteers who help strengthen our communities.

Name: Hilary Brotherhood (she/her/hers)Job Title: UrologistYears of Service: 5Worksite: Kootenay Boundary Regional HospitalCommunity: Trail, B.C. Ancestral Territory: syilx territoryFavourite Quote / Advice to live by: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Dr. Maya Angelou Born and raised in Kamloops, B.C., Dr. Hilary Brotherhood always knew she wanted to serve others in a meaningful way. Now a urologist based at Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital in Trail, Hilary has spent the past five years delivering specialized, compassionate care to patients across the Kootenays.

Have you ever wondered how vaccines get safely from the manufacturer to pharmacies, health centres and clinics, and into your arm? It’s okay if you haven’t—that’s the job of Jodi Fayant, Krista Pitts and Courtenay Uhrich. “I think about vaccines 24/7—you can ask my family!” chuckles Jodi. “I love and respect vaccines. I consider them ‘my babies.” Jodi is the lead for Interior Health’s (IH) Immunization and Informatics Program. In her role, she makes sure vaccines arrive safely at IH’s vaccine depots and beyond—to public health centres and community vaccine providers and clinics. The certified medical device technologist has a background in microbiology and has been with IH for 19 years. She’s responsible not just for vaccines, but what’s known as biologicals, such as immune globulins (antibodies from human blood). “Our job is to ensure every dose administered is safe, effective and protects as expected,” explains Jodi. “Consider a patient receiving chemotherapy, or someone who needs rabies products. A flu vaccine has to protect that vulnerable chemo patient, while someone exposed to rabies will almost certainly die without a treatment that’s effective.”

This Earth Day, we celebrate our incredible staff and medical professionals who have been taking action to advance environmental initiatives across Interior Health (IH). Together, they’re leading us to create a health-care future that’s sustainable for decades to come. To celebrate Earth Day this year, we created a video to showcase some of our sustainability highlights from the past year.

Spring is here and warmer weather means more people will be spending time outdoors in tall grass or wooded areas. This can also mean an increased chance of getting tick bites. Ticks are small bugs that bite and feed on the blood of humans and animals and can sometimes transmit disease. Fortunately, there are precautions people can take to prevent illnesses that may be transmitted from tick bites.

None of us knows what the future holds. But we can plan for it. Advance care planning is for everyone! It’s about thinking ahead, talking with those closest to you, and sharing what matters most—before a health crisis happens. Interior Health’s Advance Care Planning: Your Voice, Your Choice video series teaches about the purpose and importance of advance care planning (ACP) and why it gives peace of mind to you and your loved ones. The series presents different stories and experiences from individuals, family members and health-care providers and offers concrete ideas for you to create your own advance care plan. 

Derrick Zabotel estimates he’s lost more than 80 family members and friends due to the opioid crisis. “I have a stack of obituaries this big,” he gestures with his hands. "Grief is one of the hardest things to deal with in life…because you just get over the passing away of a relative or a friend…then you don't even have the time to grieve for that person and there's already another one who's passing away. So it's affected me deeply." Originally of the Bonaparte First Nation in Cache Creek, Derrick’s Secwépemc name, Snéwt n péllêllkwé7, means Wind over Water. He’s a member of Interior Health’s Peer Advisory and works with ASK Wellness in Kamloops. He hopes to become an Indigenous Peer Navigator to be able to support programs that connect spiritually and culturally with Indigenous People. In the following video, he shares his story of addiction and grief, and the impact the toxic drug crisis has had on him these past nine years since the declaration of the toxic drug crisis public health emergency in B.C.  

Name: Devon Anne Zimmerman (she/her/hers)Job Title: Administrative AssistantYears of Service: 8Worksite: RemoteCommunity: Fernie, B.C.Ancestral Territory: Ktunaxa Favourite Quote / Advice to live by: You are who you are today because of what you experience in your life. That doesn't mean you are better or worse than anyone. It only means that you have knowledge and lessons to share. Everyone is different and that's what makes the world so exciting. If everyone was the same, the world would be a very boring place. Devon Zimmerman has been working in various positions at Interior Health (IH) since 2017, and as an administrative assistant to the director of Health System Planning (HSP) for the past two years. She lives in Fernie, B.C. with her two teenage sons, and works remotely from home.