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.

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.”

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

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.”  

Name: Stefanie Elliott (she/her/hers)Job Title: Complex Care Housing Team LeadLength of Service: 11 yearsWorksite: Mental Health and Substance Use Complex Care HousingCommunity: KamloopsAncestral Territory: SecwépemcFavourite Quote / Advice to Live By: “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” — Confucius Stefanie Elliott is a Mental Health and Substance Use (MHSU) Complex Care Housing team lead originally from Vancouver Island. She moved to the Tk'emlúps (Kamloops) area in 2000, then travelled the world from 2015 to 2019. Stefanie believes it’s essential to build strong relationships with coworkers and clients and learn who they are as individuals. “To have your genuine self be accepted by others gives a feeling of belonging,” she says. “Each person has their struggles and strengths—it’s an honour to have these valued relationships in my life.”

Name: Sarah Kozin (she/her/hers)Job Title: Project Coordinator - Digital HealthLength of Service: 12Worksite: Kelowna Community Health and Services CentreCommunity: VernonAncestral Territory: syilxFavourite Quote / Advice to Live By: Romans 8:28And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For Sarah Kozin, making a difference isn’t about being in the spotlight: it’s about knowing that her work, whether big or small, helps improve care for patients, families and communities. That quiet drive, paired with a deep sense of purpose, has shaped her 12-year journey with Interior Health. Based in Vernon, B.C., where she has lived her entire life, Sarah is a project coordinator with Digital Health. She’s worked across a variety of roles, building strong relationships, deepening her skills and staying grounded in what brought her to health care in the first place. “I pursued a career in health care because it is deeply personal to me,” she says. “My own mother is a two-time cancer survivor, and witnessing her journey and the incredible support we received from the health-care team showed me just how vital a strong, compassionate and effective health-care system is. “It was through those challenging times that I truly understood the power of a dedicated care team in supporting not just individuals but entire families and communities. “Every step I take to support and improve health care has a ripple effect that helps patients, families and entire communities. That connection fuels me. It reminds me why I show up every day and why I continue to push myself to do better for the system, for the people in it, and for everyone who depends on it.”

Name: Jessica Calder (she/her/hers)Job Title: Medical Office Assistant (UPCLC) and Peer Volunteer (MHSU)Length of Service: 2-plus yearsWorksite: Kamloops South Shore Urgent Primary Care and Learning Centre (UPCLC) & Kamloops communityCommunity: KamloopsAncestral Territory: Secwépemc Jessica Calder experiences health care’s front line through different angles in her positions with Interior Health. She works full-time as a medical office assistant (MOA) at the Kamloops South Shore Urgent Primary Care and Learning Centre, where she interacts with patients looking to see a health-care professional for their concerns. A Kamloops resident for 37 years, Jessica gets out into the community as a Peer Support Volunteer for Mental Health & Substance Use (MHSU) on her days off. She said this role involves a lot of walking around downtown Kamloops, checking in on people and seeing if they need anything, and handing out harm reduction supplies. “I love to help others, especially the vulnerable population and people who may be experiencing homelessness,” Jessica says. “I work in health care as a Peer and a MOA because I can give back. I had a staff member at MHSU recommend me as a Peer and I’m so grateful that she did."

Name: Marie May Zubot (she/her/hers)Job Title: Manager, Clinical Operations, Long-Term CareLength of Service: 5 yearsWorksite: Poplar Ridge, Kootenay Boundary Regional HospitalCommunity: Trail / Kootenay BoundaryAncestral Territory: KtunaxaFavourite Quote / Advice to Live By: “Vulnerability is not winning or losing, it's having the courage to show up and be seen when you have no control over the outcome.” —Brene Brown Marie Zubot moved to the Kootenays in 2004 with her husband and three children for a better quality of life and access to the beautiful outdoors and activities that the B.C. Interior offers. They love fishing, hiking, camping and swimming, and in the winter, head to the hills for some snowboarding and ice fishing. “I fell in love with life in the Interior," says Marie. "Our communities are tight knit and comprised of the hardest working people you’ll ever meet. Everywhere you go, you can find a place to belong, and people truly come together in times of hardship.”  Inspired by her community, and what quality of life can be, Marie began her career in health care with a desire to broaden her understanding of what well-being truly means. For Marie, choosing health care as a career meant the opportunity to use her clinical knowledge, lived experience, and lessons to improve the quality of life of her communities, with the person in care at the centre.

Name: Courtney Ruddiman (she/her/hers)Job Title: Team Lead, Recruitment AssistantsLength of Service: 5 yearsWorksite: Kelowna Community Health & Services CentreCommunity: KelownaAncestral Territory: syilx/OkanaganFavourite Quote / Advice to Live By: "I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear." — Nelson Mandela Born in Saskatchewan, Courtney Ruddiman has lived on the traditional territory of the syilx nation in the South Okanagan since she was two. She now calls Kelowna home. With a background in business management, Courtney joined Interior Health (IH) in 2020 as an administrative assistant. Four years ago, she found her passion in recruitment and human resources (HR). She’s now the lead for the Recruitment Assistants team and has fully immersed herself in HR, and has gone back to school to study human resources management. She’s working towards a Chartered Professional HR (CPHR) designation.