Name: Echo Porlier (she/her/hers)Job Title: Rural Nurse EducatorLength of Service: 20 yearsWorksite: Nicola Valley HospitalCommunity: Thompson Cariboo regionAncestral Territory: Secwépemc/Shuswap Interior SalishFavourite Quote / Advice to Live By: "A good education can change anyone. A good teacher can change everything." —Dr. Sudhir S. Balerao A self-described old soul, Echo Porlier enjoys the fundamentals of living: gardening, canning, preserving and reading. “I like to read physical books you can touch, smell and crinkle the corner to save your page!” She says these hobbies and tasks keep her grounded in her roots and provide an antidote to her varied and busy professional life as a rural nurse educator in Interior Health (IH). Inspired by her mom Diana Heighes’s nursing trajectory and her dedication and her ability to connect with patients, Echo pursued a similar path that allowed her to blend two of her passions: teaching and health care.

For nursing students eager to gain real-world experience, grow their confidence and contribute meaningfully to patient care, Interior Health’s Employed Student Nurse (ESN) and Employed Student Psychiatric Nurse (ESPN) Program offers a unique and impactful path into the profession. This paid employment program supports students enrolled in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing or Psychiatric Nursing program who have completed their second or third year of study. The program provides early exposure to professional practice, allowing future nurses to strengthen their clinical skills, explore different areas of care and show up as valued members of the health-care team.

Name: Diana Heighes (she/her/hers)Job Title: Registered Nurse (RN)Length of Service: 35 yearsWorksite: Royal Inland Hospital Day Care SurgeryCommunity: BarnhartvaleAncestral Territory: SecwépemcFavourite Quote / Advice to Live By: Equity for everyone. Diana grew up in the small of community of Chase, B.C., and moved to Barnhartvale just outside of Kamloops 22 years ago. At 16 years old, Diana started taking the courses required for nursing. After high school, she worked for a general physician in Chase. “I quickly realized how much I liked medicine,” she recounts. “My husband and I had two young children when he encouraged me to return to school to pursue my nursing dream.”

Guest post by Alison Houweling, harm reduction coordinator with Interior Health With International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) here, I think about the concept of stigma. Stigma is a hot button topic and honestly, I think some people are tired of hearing the word. But it is one of the most significant barriers to people getting help.  Stigma often brings to mind the idea of judgment and negative views happening to a person. What is not explored is the internalized and perceived stigma that happens within a person. Understanding that aspect of stigma could be a gamechanger for how we connect with people who use substances. To better understand these internal experiences, I will share my own experience of stigma and substance use.

Name: Kimberly Ramier (she/her/hers)Job Title: Registered Nurse, Certified Practice – Opioid Use Disorder (CP OUD)Length of Service: 11Worksite: Williams Lake Mental Health & Substance UseCommunity: Williams LakeAncestral Territory: Secwepemc and Tsilqhot'in NationsFavourite Quote / Advice to Live By: This too shall pass. Kimberly (Kim) Ramier was born in the traditional and unceded territory of the Secwepemc and Tsilqhot'in Nations (colonially known as Kamloops) and has lived most of her life in Williams Lake. For Kim, accountability, acknowledgement and hope aren’t just words—they’re a way of showing up every day in her role as a registered nurse (RN). Her connection and love for her hometown has shaped her into a true nurturer. Whether it’s raising a beautiful family, or helping people in crisis, Kim has always had an immense and strong motivation to alleviate fear, pain and panic in those around her.  Kim’s path to health care wasn’t straightforward. At 17, she admits she was a little rebellious, taking two tries to finish grade 12. Later, while raising two children, she worked in the service department at an automotive dealership before deciding to pursue nursing in her early 30s. Earning her degree at 35 remains one of her proudest accomplishments. “We should not be defined by our struggles but admired for our successes.” - Kim Ramier

Did you know that Interior Health offers dozens of mental health and substance use services? Whether you need short-term treatments or longer term therapies, help in your community or at a dedicated facility, in-person or virtual, our services are confidential and safe, and free of judgment and stigma. 

International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) on August 31 brings together a global community to take action on overdose. This year’s theme, One Big Family Driven by Hope, reminds us that these losses do not just shatter individual families; they fracture entire communities. “International Overdose Awareness Day is a time to bring communities together—to remember the lives we have lost, to support those still living with the impacts of this crisis, and to stand as allies in the work ahead,” shares Alison Houweling, a harm reduction coordinator with Interior Health. “Substance use is a health concern. Like any other health-related activity that can lead to adverse outcomes, it requires a health response: treatment of those outcomes and options that promote health.”

Interior Health Peers from the Vernon Downtown Mental Health and Substance Use Clinic are leading a grassroots art initiative titled Expressions from the Front Lines: A Journey through the Toxic Drug Crisis. The unique exhibit, on display at the Okanagan Regional Library and Gallery Vertigo, brings together a collection of heartfelt artistic expressions from those with lived and living experiences in recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day on August 31, 2025.

Name: Dr. Nancy Humber (she/her/hers)Job Title: PhysicianLength of Service: 29 yearsWorksite:  Lillooet Hospital and Health CentreCommunity: Lillooet and GoldbridgeAncestral Territory: Northern St'at'imcFavourite quote: "If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” — African Proverb  Advice: Health care is a complex, ever-changing service that will require deliberate, multidisciplinary approaches that consider equity, cultural awareness, and patient and family-driven success metrics to ultimately improve the health experience and outcomes of this region.  Dr. Nancy Humber is a familiar presence in the Northern St'at'imc communities, also known as Lillooet. With nearly three decades serving as a physician at the Lillooet Hospital and Health Centre, Nancy’s career journey has been rooted in a commitment to lifelong learning and meaningful allyship.  “I love people, and I have an amazing opportunity to work in the different Northern St'at'imc communities, meet local health-care teams, and learn from Elders in their homes in their communities,” she says. “These experiences have taught me how to be a better doctor and person and have improved my cultural understanding of how to be a better ally.”