Name: Nida Farooqui (she/her/hers) Job Title: Communications Consultant, Digital HealthLength of Service: 9 monthsWorksite: Kelowna Community Health & Services Centre (CHSC)Community: KelownaAncestral Territory: syilxFavourite Quote / Advice to live by: "To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." - Ralph Waldo Emerson Nida feels grateful to live on the ancestral territory of the syilx Nation where she has lived since June 2024, and from 2020 to 2023.  “To me, reconciliation means to be aware of and grateful for the Indigenous communities,” she says. “It's bringing my whole self to connect, listen and learn from the values and rich history rooted in Indigenous teachings.” Nida has always loved working with and supporting people—especially when it comes to their well-being. She believes two essential pieces that support one's well-being are education and health.  After spending close to a decade of her career dedicated to higher education, she felt compelled to explore health care and use her communications and storytelling skills at Interior Health (IH) as a new way to support people.   

Name: Jade Chaboyer-KondraJob Title: Lead, Indigenous EngagementLength of Service: 7 yearsWorksite:  Work from home in syilx territory (West Kelowna)Community: West KelownaAncestral Territory: syilx If you ask Jade Chaboyer-Kondra what drives her, she’ll tell you it’s in building relationships with people who work to make a difference in their communities and Nations. That passion is evident in the skill, knowledge, insights and compassion she brings to her work every single day.  You may know Jade in her role as lead, Indigenous Engagement on our Indigenous Partnerships team, or as a former host of the IH’s Indigenous health and wellness podcast, Interior Voices. We connected with her to learn more about what inspires her, the meaningful experiences she’s had throughout her career, and her life outside of work (spoiler alert: you’ll see her wearing orange and blue during the NHL season).  

Name: Teresa LeBlanc  (she/her/hers)Job Title: Nursing Unit ClerkYears of Service: 13Worksite: Ponderosa LodgeCommunity: KamloopsAncestral Territory: SecwépemcFavourite Quote / Advice to live by: “C'est la vie [That's life].” Teresa LeBlanc works as a nursing unit clerk at Ponderosa Lodge in Kamloops, B.C. She was born in Squamish and raised in Logan Lake and Merritt. She moved to Kamloops in 1995 and has lived there ever since. Describing herself as an easygoing, generally happy person, Teresa is also the type of person who likes to keep everyone pleasantly organized.

Name: Laura Crossley (she/her/hers)Job Title: CounsellorYears of Service: 2Worksite: Kelowna Community Health & Services CentreCommunity: KelownaAncestral Territory: syilxFavourite Quote / Advice to live by: I have so many: Vince Lombardi, Sun Tzu and Norman Schwarzkopf. But I will quote a line from Seinfeld, season 6, episode 16: "It’s not a lie if you believe it." Laura grew up in the Lower Mainland in Coquitlam and attended Douglas College. After graduation, she moved across the country to Halifax and made her way back to B.C. after spending time in Red Deer, Alberta. She “dabbled” in sales and worked in the transportation business along the way. In 2019, she moved to Kelowna where she started work at the Foundry, a wellness centre for young people aged 12–24.

Name: Alma Angelina Vega Perez (she/her/hers)Job Title: Activity Coordinator, Adult Day Services Years of Service: 1.5Worksite: Kootenay Boundary Area OfficeCommunity: Kootenay BoundaryAncestral Territory: Ktunaxa, syilxFavourite Quote / Advice to Live By: “No fear of success.” Dare to chase your dreams, even when the path is uncertain. Life rewards those who take bold steps with a strong heart and a determined mind. Born and raised in Mexico, Alma has an innate love and passion for Mexican culture, traditions and gastronomy. She loves the art of selecting fresh ingredients, cooking meals from scratch and sharing them with friends and family. She also enjoys music and dancing. In fact, she has two bachelor’s degrees: one in arts education and one in Mexican folkloric dance. She also holds two master’s degrees. Alma found her calling in education and worked as a teacher. But after teaching for more than 10 years at various educational levels—primarily in universities—she decided to make a change and immigrate to Canada in July 2022.

Name:  Erik Reimer (he/him/his)Job Title: Spiritual Health PractitionerYears of Service: Seven monthsWorksite:  Vernon Jubilee HospitalCommunity: VernonAncestral Territory: syilxFavourite Quote / Advice to live by: “Shame and insecurity intimidate us into hiding. Connection and belonging invite us to step out into the open.” Meet Erik Reimer, the newly appointed spiritual health practitioner at Vernon Jubilee Hospital (VJH). Erik brings a wealth of experience in spiritual care, having spent more than two decades as a pastor walking alongside people through life’s most significant moments.  His journey is not just one of academic learning and teaching, but of profound personal reflection and empathy that undoubtedly resonates with those he serves.  

Name: Robert GignacJob Title: Care AideYears of Service: 35Worksite: Parkview PlaceCommunity: EnderbyAncestral Territory: Secwépemc NationFavourite Quote / Advice to live by: “It’s better to give than to receive.” Since joining Parkview Place in 2012, Robert Gignac has left his mark on the long-term care home. He has greeted people with a smile as a screener, helped things run smoothly behind the scenes, and most recently, has been serving residents as a care aide.  Most importantly, Robert always tries to leave residents smiling after an interaction. “When I work with some of my residents, they ask, ‘What is your name?’ When I say, ‘Mr. Wonderful,’ they burst out laughing,” Robert says. 

Name: Bettina Panio (she/her/hers)Job Title: Certified Practice Registered Nurse (RN)Years of Service: 13Worksite: Blue River Health Centre, Clearwater, Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital & Kamloops Royal Inland Hospital (ED & ICU)Community: Louis CreekAncestral Territory: SecwepemcFavourite Quote: I love quotes that touch me and call to me. There are too many to chose from but since this is about nursing, I really like this quote, “Value what you do and add value by what you do.”Advice to Live By: Be like a tree: Stand tall and proud. Stay grounded. Connect with your roots. Turn over a new leaf. Bend before you break. Go out on a limb. Drink plenty of water. Be content and enjoy your unique natural beauty. Keep growing. Enjoy the view. A desire to expand the scope of her practice, coupled with great family support, has led Certified Practice Registered Nurse Bettina Panio to try a new position at Interior Health (IH) in the remote community of Blue River. Since November 2024, Bettina has been providing care two days a week for clients at the Blue River Health Centre. The centre, located between Clearwater and Valemount along Highway 5, is based out of the historic Blue River Outpost building which was established as a first aid clinic in 1948.

Name: Mike Robinson (he/him/his)Job Title: UrologistYears of Service: 10Worksite: Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital (KBRH)Community: TrailAncestral Territory: Sinixt, syilx and Ktunaxa  Raised in the small lakeside town of Christina Lake, B.C., Dr. Mike Robinson always knew the West Kootenays would be part of his story. What he didn’t know, as a young student passionate about human physiology, was that he would one day become a cornerstone of surgical care in the region he calls home. After completing his undergraduate degree in Human Kinetics and Exercise Physiology at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Dr. Robinson continued to medical school through UBC’s Northern Medical Program in Prince George, as part of only the second cohort of this innovative, community-based initiative.  He later returned to Vancouver for a surgical residency at UBC and spent a year working locum positions in Vancouver before ultimately finding his professional home in Trail.