You can’t see it, taste it or smell it, but radon gas is found everywhere in Canada. Caused by the natural breakdown of uranium in soil and rocks, radon dissipates outdoors, but builds up indoors – in homes, workplaces, schools and leisure spaces.  Radon gas is radioactive, and is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. It’s also the most significant indoor air carcinogen for residents of homes in Canada. According to the BC Centre for Disease Control's radon map, an estimated 30 per cent of homes within the Interior Health region are above the Canadian guideline of 200 Becquerels/m3. How do you know how much radon you have in your home? There’s only one way to find out: you have to test for it.  November is Radon Action Month in Canada. We want to introduce you to four people who are working hard to increase awareness of the risks of radon, and to promote testing, management and mitigation.  In this post, meet Greg Baytalan, BSc, CPHI(C), specialist environmental health officer, and air quality and radon expert. We have also featured medical health officers and radon champions Drs. Mema and Sabet, and regional air quality coordinator for the City of Kelowna, Nancy Mora Castro.

People living with chronic kidney disease now have a new, easy-to-use online resource that teaches how to use your kitchen to manage and slow the progression of kidney disease. The Plant-Based Medicine for Chronic Kidney Disease is a free website developed by two dietitians at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH).

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.

From canning and preservation, to learning about medicinal tea from Secwépemc Elders and the importance of climate change, Indigenous leaders from within Interior Health and First Nation communities came together for important conversations at this year’s Interior Region Indigenous Food Forum at the Arbour in Tk’emlups te Secwépemc in September. Interior Region Indigenous Food Forum 2023: Summary Report “One of the biggest things is there are a lot of grassroots folks doing this work in community on any end of the Indigenous food system, so it could be harvesting, could be canning, could be community gardening,” noted Interior Health’s Corporate Director of Aboriginal Health & Wellness Kris Murray, who helped organize this year’s two-day event. “Lots of those folks don’t get the opportunity to talk to other communities doing this work, so we had interest from [them] to do this.”

When you walk into a hospital, you may be accustomed to seeing hand sanitizer and medical masks at the entrances. But did you know a lot more that happens behind the scenes to keep our health-care facilities safe from viruses like COVID-19 and norovirus, and harmful bacteria that causes infections like c. difficile? At Interior Health, our infection preventionists (IPs) help protect everyone’s safety by providing education to staff, physicians and volunteers. They investigate infections and outbreaks, assess infection prevention measures, and even provide consultation for construction and renovation projects in health-care facilities. Meet some of our Interior Health IPs, and get to know the work they do.

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.

To advance health-focused climate change action and sustainability in B.C.’s Southern Interior, we’ve developed the Climate Change and Sustainability Roadmap. The Roadmap will serve as a strategy to guide 20 climate change and sustainability actions across IH over the next five years. Building a network of health-care staff who participate in projects and initiatives to advance environmental sustainability and climate resilience across the organization is a key part of IH’s vision of improved health and well-being for all.