Name: Lauren Phillips (she/her/hers) Job Title: Interim clinical operations manager Years of Service: 10 Worksite: Hillside Centre Community: Kamloops Ancestral Territory: Secwépemc Advice to live by: Just breathe Lauren Phillips describes herself as motivated – this is why the regional tertiary coordinator recently took an interim position as the clinical operations manager at Hillside Centre, which provides psychiatric services. Her current day-to-day work includes supporting staff, psychiatrists, professionals and patients within Hillside.  “Being new to this role it’s a steep learning curve, but I have amazing support from my director, fellow MHSU managers and the staff.”

Name: Franz Huber (he/him/his) Job Title: Registered Nurse (RN) Years of Service: 25 Worksite: Rutland Community Dialysis Clinic Community: Kelowna Ancestral Territory: Syilx Okanagan Advice to live by: Work hard and be disciplined, but also have fun, and spread love and kindness Franz Huber has been a registered nurse with Interior Health (IH) for over 25 years. He moved to Canada from Austria in 1986, settling in Kelowna in 1990. Franz describes himself as a hardworking, caring, practical and "well-rounded" experienced nurse. While he is very much a self-sufficient survivalist and an environmentalist, Franz also considers himself a farmer/cowboy with a good sense of humour. 

Name: Shannon Carver (she/her/hers) Job Title: Director, Medical Imaging Okanagan Years of Service: 25 Worksite: Penticton Regional Hospital Community: Penticton Ancestral Territory: Syilx Okanagan Favourite Quote / Advice to live by: Always try to look at the bright side of life – as staying positive is infectious. Shannon hails from a small town in Saskatchewan called Kamsack. She finds inspiration from being around energetic people and loves to travel. She also participates in a variety of indoor and outdoor sports, especially those that involve water, which is what attracted her to life in the beautiful Okanagan. Shannon and her family enjoy camping, golfing, biking, boating and wake surfing. Shannon also enjoys recreating on ice, playing competitive ladies and mixed curling. Shannon has worked with IH for 25 years and is currently the director of medical imaging for the North and South Okanagan. She was hired as a casual medical radiation technologist and worked her way up to director. Shannon’s key to success is she values a work-life balance, and spends her free time exploring parts of the world near and far with friends and family.

Name: Marilyn J. Ransome (she/her/hers) Job Title: RN - Community Integration Care Coordinator Years of Service: 10 Worksite: Lansdowne Park Mall Community: Kamloops Ancestral Territory: Secwépemc Favourite Quote / Advice to live by: “Be the reason someone smiles.” – Roy T. Bennett Marilyn Ransome is inspired by teamwork. As a community integration care coordinator (CICC)/team leader in Kamloops, the Victoria, B.C. native is responsible for the coordination of day-to-day operations and quality client care, and supports the seamless movement of clients through the health-care system and in accessing appropriate resources.  “The home health team I work with is inspiring.” When the chips are down and our backs are against the wall, this team rallies together to help each other with tenacity, perseverance and humour.”

Name: Kathy Smith (she/her/hers) Job Title: Administrative Services Years of Service: 15 Worksite: East Shore Community Health Centre Community: East Shore/Crawford Bay and Surrounding Communities Ancestral Territory: Kootenay/Ktunaxa Favourite Quote / Advice to live by: The best gift you can give someone is your time. Kathy Smith was born in Edmonton. She lived in the towns of Calmar, Warburg and Whitecourt, Alta., before moving to Riondel, B.C. in 1999. Kathy considers herself “loyal to a fault at times” and likes to help people. She believes this career chose her. “When asked if I wanted to work as a receptionist in a small clinic in Riondel for Dr. Savory, little did I know that it was so much more than just answering a phone and making appointments. I have been able to help people who have a hard time trying to navigate our ever-changing system. It has been a very huge learning curve for me, which I love.”

Name: Diane Betman (she/her/hers) Job Title: Clinical Practice Educator Years of Service: 15 Worksite: Vernon Jubilee Hospital Community: Vernon Ancestral Territory: Syilx Okanagan Favourite Quote / Advice to live by: “Don’t go through life, grow through life.” – Eric Butterworth Born in Three Hills, Alberta (and, yes, there are actually three small hills close by), Diane Betman, clinical practice educator, has also lived in Nova Scotia, Brazil and B.C. In fact, she can speak Portuguese fluently as she lived in Brazil for 14 years. A friendly, positive person, when Diane reflects on her choices, she believes no other career would have given her more satisfaction than nursing.  “Being a nurse has given me the opportunity to meet so many different people and learn from them while supporting their health journey. I am always learning something new and, as a clinical practice educator, I get to share these learnings with other staff. I hope that at the end of the day I have been a positive influence in the lives of others.”

Name: Rebecca Myers (she/her/hers) Job Title: Patient Registration Clerk Years of Service: 20 Worksite: Cariboo Memorial Hospital Community: Williams Lake Ancestral Territory: Secwepemc Advice to live by: You can die in debt. Self-described as short and feisty, Rebecca Myers, patient registration clerk in Williams Lake, celebrated her 20th anniversary with Interior Health this year. Rebecca started her career at Interior Health (IH) as a medical laboratory assistant, only just switching to patient registration in mid-2022 to expand her learning possibilities.

Name: Dr. Carol Ward (she/her/hers) Job Title: Geriatric psychiatrist Years of Service: 17 Worksite: Royal Inland Hospital Community: Kamloops Ancestral Territory: Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc Advice to live by: Be curious. Personal stories hold immaculate power, especially in their ability to connect people in the most authentic and meaningful way. Because of this reason, Dr. Carol Ward, a geriatric psychiatrist, ensures that understanding personal stories become the cornerstone of a patient’s treatment plan. Carol is most known for her work in caring for older adult patients living with dementia - whom she shares a special and natural connection with. Growing up in the Atlantic Provinces, Carol recalls having friends who were extraordinarily funny and resilient seniors.

Name: Christine Olmstead (she/her/hers) Job Title: Operations knowledge coordinator Years of Service: 15 Worksite: CHSC Community: Central Okanagan Ancestral Territory: Central Okanagan Advice to live by: You cannot control others’ actions; you can only control your own reaction. Christine Olmstead was born in Vanderhoof, B.C. and raised in Penticton. She describes herself as motivated, passionate, supportive and caring. Christine has been with Interior Health since 2005, starting as a community health worker while completing her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at UBC Okanagan in 2007. She was hired as a casual home health RN right after graduation. In her role as an operations knowledge coordinator, Christine provides front-line home health clinical staff, team leads and managers with required education sessions and support in their learning through Ministry of Health directives, regional roll-outs and changes at an operational level. She also supports orientation requirements and education for new home health staff. Another part of Christine’s role is “translating knowledge.” This involves interpreting information received from leadership (such as practice leads and directors) and presenting it to staff in ways that they are able to understand, prioritize and incorporate into their current practice. “We have to take into account that adults learn in different ways, and we have to be flexible and aware of what works and what doesn’t,” says Christine.