Name: Tanya Momtazian (she/her/hers) Job Title: Registered Midwife Years of Service: 16 Worksite: Kootenay Lake Hospital Community: Nelson Ancestral Territory: Ktunaxa and Syilx. “I live in the Sinixt, Ktunaxa, and Syilx territory of the West Kootenays. Sinixt is not on the territory map because it was declared extinct by the federal government, which has recently been repealed.” Favourite Quote / Advice to live by:  “I enjoy consulting and considering the iChing, an ancient Chinese Book of Changes. It talks about perseverance, harmony, planning, and strategy.” Born and raised in Calgary to a white settler father from Alberta and a mixed ethnicity mother from Trinidad and Tobago, Tanya is the first midwife to join Interior Health’s Navig8 Emerging Medical Leaders Program, which prepares medical leaders to operate effectively in their current and future leadership roles through a mix of action-based learning and mentorship. With a deep passion for patient care, Tanya holds a number of midwifery-related roles while finding time to pursue outdoor activities with her family, and trying her hand at silversmithing and jewelry making.

Name: Brandy Hagel (she/her/hers) Job Title: Registered Nurse Years of Service: 5 ½  Worksite: Kelowna General Hospital Pediatrics  Community:  Kelowna Ancestral Territory: Syilx Favourite Quote / Advice to live by: “If you put your mind to it, anything is possible.” Brandy Hagel, the registered nurse (RN) from Kelowna General Hospital who took to social media to reunite a pediatric patient with their stuffed bunny, has always loved working with kids. She has also always been the type of person who goes out of her way to make a positive difference in someone’s day.  So much so that in 2017 she combined her passion for running and desire to help others by taking on the challenge of running an ultra-marathon across Haiti to raise money for low-income families. She ran a total of 226 kilometres in just six days!  Naturally, her empathetic, caring nature and desire to work with children ultimately led her to a career as a RN in pediatrics.  “It is so rewarding to know that you are making a positive impact in someone’s day, and kids are the most resilient people I know. I love being able to help them understand that their illness doesn’t define them while we work together to get them healthy again.”  

Name: Nicole Fournier (she/her/hers) Job Title: Health care assistant Years of Service: 11 Worksite: Three Links Manor Community: Kelowna Ancestral Territory: Syilx Favourite Quote / Advice to live by: Live, laugh, love. Since Nicole Fournier was a young girl, she always wanted to be a nurse. She was born and raised on the coast, and has been in Kelowna for over 20 years. She became a health care assistant (HCA) with the plan of getting her start in nursing and eventually become a wound care nurse. However, Nicole found her work as a HCA enjoyable.  In fact, when asked her proudest moment from her 11-years-and-counting career with Interior Health, she answered “becoming a care aide.”

Name: Andrea Fieldhouse (she/her/hers) Job Title:  Family Nurse Practitioner Years of Service:  14 Worksite: Elkford Health Centre Community: Elkford Ancestral Territory: Ktunaxa Favourite Quote / Advice to live by: "There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in.” – Desmond Tutu Born in Vancouver, Andrea is a family nurse practitioner (NP) passionate about supporting her clients’ health goals, and offering preventive care to improve the quality of life of her community. She enjoys connecting with people, and describes herself as kind, compassionate and driven.

Name: Alicia Vicic (she/her/hers) Job Title: Clinical Practice Educator - Early Psychosis Intervention (EPI) - IH North Years of Service: 16 Worksite: Community MHSU Community: Kamloops/IH North Ancestral Territory: Secwépemc  Favourite Quote / Advice to live by:  "When you look at a person, any person, remember that everyone has a story. Everyone has gone through something that has changed them."  Born and raised in Kamloops, Alicia Vicic graduated from the Thompson Rivers University (TRU) Bachelor of Science nursing program in 2007 and completed her Master of Science in Nursing from UBC in 2017. Early on in her nursing education, she realized her interest in the mental health field, so she focused most of her clinical placements in this area. This lead Alicia to her career as a clinical practice educator with a focus on Early Psychosis Intervention (EPI).

Name: Julianna Duplessis Job Title: Sonographer Years of Service: 8 Worksite: Royal Inland Hospital Community: Kamloops Ancestral Territory: Secwépemc Favourite Quote / Advice to live by: “God does not give us more than we can handle.” Julianna Duplessis loves her job as a diagnostic medical sonographer at Royal Inland Hospital (RIH).  She says every day is different and every diagnosis is different, keeping you on your toes.  “Every day is a new experience because as computers get better, so do the ultrasounds, so we see more and we constantly learn in this job. It’s not one you could be stagnant in,” noted Julianna, who’s been a sonographer for nearly three decades.

Name: Gillian Gabelhei (she/her/hers) Job Title: Occupational Therapist Years of Service:  11 Worksite:  Brookhaven Care Centre Community:  Kelowna Ancestral Territory: Syilx Favourite Quote / Advice to live by: Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength. – Saint Francis de Sales Apart from a couple of years at university in Edmonton, occupational therapist (OT), Gillian Gabelhei has lived in Kelowna ever since moving to Canada from her birthplace in Durban, South Africa. She describes herself as easygoing, patient, practical and open-minded.

Name: Ian Luckhurst (he/him/his) Job Title: Manager, Clinical Education Years of Service: 10 Worksite: Professional Practice Office Community: Rossland Ancestral Territory: Syilx and Ktunaxa Nations Favourite Quote / Advice to live by: "Go placidly amid the noise and haste and remember what peace there may be in silence." - Desiderata, 1927 Born and raised in Edmonton, Ian started his nursing career in 2006. His interest in science and pathology led him to specializing in critical and emergency care nursing. An outdoor enthusiast, Ian worked for nine years part-time as a certified critical care flight nurse, helping transport patients in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

Name: Emily Larochelle (she/her/hers) Job Title:  Registered Nurse, Clinical Care Educator Years of Service: 13 Worksite: Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital Community: Trail, West Kootenays Ancestral Territory: Ktunaxa and Syilx Nations Favourite Quote / Advice to live by: "There is a light somewhere. It may not be much light but it beats the darkness." – Charles Bukowski