We Are IH is a new recognition campaign to spotlight our people in a real way – through pictures and stories that allow their authenticity to shine through! Each month, four Interior Health employees or medical staff will be featured through our News@IH website and our weekly In the Loop Roundup email newsletter.  Allen has worked as a Medical Laboratory Technologist at the KGH laboratory for eight years. You may spot Allen's warm smile and his health-care hero heart pin while he is working hard with his team at Kelowna General Hospital. He genuinely loves the team members he works with and knows that they will support each other, no matter what. Born in the Philippines islands, Allen moved to Toronto in 1999 with his family and 'bestest' friend, his twin sister. With the goal of moving to the beautiful Okanagan Valley on his horizon after graduation, he moved cross-country in 2012 to his now home-sweet-home - luckily for us at Interior Health. A true optimist, Allen sees the glass half full and not half empty. Point in case: When catching up with colleagues after they have traveled abroad, he seeks some of their international cash to keep in his wallet as a reminder to travel to that destination. Maybe if they're lucky he will bring them back a little token of his appreciation! "Be kind, calm and safe."  - Dr. Bonnie Henry Allen's favourite inspirational quote Truly inspired by the power of the microscope enabling him to see what he couldn't with his bare eyes, at work he glimpses another world of red and white blood cells, tissue cells, bacteria, viruses and much more. Young Allen was fascinated by seeing these tiny little things interact and communicate. From his first look at an amoeba under the microscope, he was mesmerized and thrilled seeing it swimming in the water. From the entire team at Interior Health, we thank you for all that you do, Allen, and we are so thankful that you chose Kelowna and Interior Health to make your home-sweet-home. Check back each Friday for the next We Are IH feature. For more information contact EmployeeExperience@InteriorHealth.ca. Allen's nomination of John Bors keeps the We are IH loop going": "John is a joy to work with and creates a positive work environment. He’s a kind, dedicated hard worker who remains calm under pressure and is very knowledgeable. We are incredibly grateful to have someone like him working in the laboratory. He’s very good at trouble shooting the instruments and liaising between the lab and our vendors. He’s very patient and gets the job done."  

Temperatures within the Interior tend to soar mid-summer, when residents and visitors enjoy fun in the sun. However, too much heat can be harmful to your health. Overheating can lead to weakness, disorientation and exhaustion. In severe cases, it may lead to heat stroke (also known as sunstroke). And heat stroke is a life-threatening medical emergency. “I know we’re all busy taking precautions to prevent COVID, but in addition we need to stay safe from the heat."Medical Health Officer Dr. Carol Fenton. Here are some tips to keep you safe and healthy this summer. 10 Steps to avoid heat related illness Plan your outdoor activity before 11 a.m. or after 4 p.m., to avoid the most intense sun.Drink plenty of non-alcoholic fluids. Water is the best choice.Avoid physical work or exercise outside in the heat of the day.If you must work or exercise outside, drink two to four glasses of water each hour, even before you feel thirsty.Rest breaks are important and should be taken in the shade.Apply sunscreen to prevent sun burn, but remember this doesn’t protect from the heat.Stay in the shade, or create your own shade with lightweight, light-coloured, loose-fitting clothing, a wide brimmed hat, and/or an umbrella.If you’re struggling to keep cool, move indoors to an air-conditioned building or take a cool bath or shower. At temperatures above 30° C (86°F), fans alone may not be able to prevent heat-related illness.Never leave children or pets alone in a parked car. Temperatures can rise to 52° C (125° F) within 20minutes inside a vehicle when the outside temperature is 34° C (93° F). Leaving the car windows slightly open will not keep the inside of the vehicle at a safe temperature.Regularly check older adults, infants and children, those doing a lot of physical activity or working outside, and people with chronic disease or mental illness for signs of heat-related illness. Make sure they are keeping cool and drinking plenty of fluids. Check on those who are unable to leave their homes, and people whose judgment may be impaired. https://youtu.be/4sVYjq86hXA The symptoms of heat-related illness can range from mild to severe. They include: pale, cool, moist skin (early stages); or red, hot, dry skin (in the late stages of heat stroke);heavy sweating;muscle cramps;rash;swelling, especially hands and feet;fatigue and weakness;dizziness and/or fainting;headache;nausea and/or vomiting;fever, particularly a core body temperature of 40° C (104° F) or more;confusion and decreased mental alertness;hallucinations;seizures; andunconsciousness/coma When recognized early, most mild heat-related illnesses can be treated at home. Home treatment for mild heat exhaustion may include: moving to a cooler environment;drinking plenty of cool, non-alcoholic fluids;resting;taking a cool shower or bath; andwearing lightweight clothing If your symptoms last longer than one hour, change, worsen or cause you concern, contact a health-care provider. Resources For more information on heat-related illness, visit the HealthLinkBC website or dial 811. For local governments: Heat Alert Response System

Volunteers offer non-medical follow-up help and advice In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, testing in the emergency department at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH) was primarily reserved for those patients needing hospitalization to treat their disease. Patients diagnosed with mild-disease symptoms were instead directed to self-isolate at home for a minimum of 10 days without being tested. As COVID-19 treatments and testing protocols continued to evolve, discharged patients weren’t necessarily getting the most up-to-date information on how to effectively self-isolate. It was a knowledge gap that Dr. Tony Kwan, a KGH emergency physician and UBC clinical instructor, looked to fill with the support of Southern Medical Program (SMP) student volunteers from UBC Okanagan. “We needed to eliminate confusion and ensure our patients could effectively manage their symptoms and limit the further spread of COVID-19 in the community,” says Kwan. Kwan enlisted the help of UBC emergency medicine residents and a group of SMP students to operationalize a phone follow-up service for self-isolating patients. “Self-isolation is a new concept for most members of our community and we wanted to support patients in understanding the importance and guidelines,” says Dr. Kerry Spearing, a UBC emergency medicine resident. “We also wanted to identify common barriers preventing patients from self-isolating effectively, and develop solutions to assist patients in navigating those barriers.”   By far, the two biggest concerns for patients were how to obtain groceries and prescriptions without leaving the home. These common challenges led the team to compile a self-isolation handout including a detailed list of grocery stores and pharmacies willing to deliver within the community. Over the past two months, SMP student Kyla Freeman has been one of the volunteers checking on patients by phone. They review self-isolation protocols, share community resources, and field non-medically related questions. Patients are contacted within the first 48 hours of discharge and again five to seven days later. “Hearing patient stories about the virus impact and barriers to self-isolation has been an eye-opening experience,” says Freeman. “Patients can find it incredibly challenging to self-isolate, especially when trying to minimize transmission to their household contacts.” In addition to the KGH Emergency Department, the phone service has grown to include self-isolating patients seen at the Urgent and Primary Care Centre in Kelowna. Kwan and the team have also connected with colleagues in the Lower Mainland to share the model and best practices. “I’m definitely grateful to be able to support patients in some way to help make a difference,” says Freeman. “It’s a challenging time for everyone, and we’re hopefully able to make their lives a little bit easier.” This article was reprinted with permission from UBC Okanagan News.

Fifty-year-old Shane is an active volunteer, a former hockey player and a trivia buff. Like many couples, he and his wife Joanne often tease each other. “She doesn’t have a volume switch. I’ve been trying to find it for years,” he says of Joanne, who is so soft-spoken you need to lean in close to hear her. “I didn’t come with a volume switch. Or a return policy,” Joanne quietly quips back. Joanne and Shane moved to the Okanagan a few years ago, but it wasn’t easy. They spent time living outdoors when they were unable to find housing. Money ran out quickly.   Having experienced both substance use issues and homelessness, they know about shame and blame firsthand. “Every homeless or drug addicted person I know has been impacted by stigma. If you carry a back-pack, you’re not allowed to use a washroom, even in a business where you eat every day,” Shane says. ”Stigma is everywhere. We need to get rid of it, for everyone. Not just for the homeless or addicted but as a race.” He pauses. “Whoa I’m getting deep now, holy cow.” He laughs to lighten the mood, but his words are true. It was the impact of stigma that spurred Shane to begin advocating for marginalized people in their community. He is a co-founder of VEPAD – Vernon Entrenched People Against Discrimination – a support group of sorts, that is active in harm reduction efforts, community clean-ups, and education. “Don’t paint everybody with the same brush and don’t be so quick to judge. It can happen to anyone. I’m proof of that,” Shane says. “I come from an upper middle class family. I was always a confident person until 10 years ago.” “I’d never used drugs in my life. I didn’t drink much. All of a sudden one night I had a line of cocaine put in front of me, and I fell in love with it right then and there. I couldn’t get enough of it. I lost everything to it.” The stigma surrounding homelessness and substance use weighs on you, Shane says, until you are looking down all the time and it feels like nobody cares about you. When they were invited to share their lived experience at a business event, Shane realized how many people and agencies there are in town that do care. “And now I guess we’re one of them,” he says, referring to VEPAD. “And I like that.”  Watch the video and learn about Shane's story. Check out more resources about stigma and substance use. Help #EndStigma. Shane’s story is part two in a four part series of stories and videos about the stigma faced by those impacted by substance use.

We live in a society that not only normalizes alcohol use, but seems to endorse it. “It’s 5 o’clock somewhere,” after all. Alcohol consumption has been steadily increasing over the years, and according to the University of Victoria alcohol monitoring project, people living in the Interior Health region have the highest rate of alcohol consumption in the province.   The risks of alcohol consumption “Alcohol is such a common substance in our culture that the harms are often overlooked,” says Substance Use Practice Lead Amanda Lavigne. According to the BC Centre for Substance Use, high risk drinking can lead to disease, social problems, and economic costs. Each day 10 Canadians die in hospital from harm caused by substance use, and three in four of these deaths are due to alcohol. These harms have been magnified during the COVID-19 pandemic as many people turn to alcohol as a coping tool, and this behaviour is being normalized on social media. Although humour itself is often used to help cope with stress, this can have the unintended effect of making uncommon consumption behaviours seem more socially acceptable.  Humour such as memes on social media can normalize high-risk drinking.   According to the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, 25 per cent of Canadians aged 35-54 and 21 per cent aged 18-34, reported an increase in their alcohol consumption while spending more time at home due to physical distancing and self-isolation protocols. Some of the reasons for increased alcohol use include a change of schedule, boredom, and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. A May 15 article from The Capital states that in just two months, B.C. has sold four Olympic swimming pools of “extra booze”, saying it is likely “the sharpest spike in collective drinking since the end of prohibition.”  Alcohol negatively impacts the immune system, putting those who consume it at higher risk from the potentially dangerous COVID-19 virus.   How COVID-19 can add to the risk of withdrawal People with alcohol use disorder may have their supply interrupted due to self-isolation, or financial hardship. Marginalized people, such as those without homes or jobs, may rely on pan-handling and collecting cans and bottles in order to buy alcohol, however during COVID-19 they are being significantly impacted due to recycling depot closures and limited public interaction. This can increase the likelihood of withdrawal, which can be deadly in the case of some high-risk drinkers. In response to this, Interior Health has implemented managed alcohol programs in Kelowna, Kamloops and Vernon with ongoing planning to expand to other communities. Kelowna Mental Health and Substance Use Manager Nadine Rigby recalls one client’s reaction: “The client was almost in tears when he received his first dose. He was extremely grateful and stated that he couldn’t believe that we cared enough to provide this service for him.” “Without this program, he would have gone into withdrawal and ended up in hospital.” Nadine Rigby, MHSU Manager While the managed alcohol programs focus on the most vulnerable population in this pandemic, safer drinking guidelines should be followed by everyone who uses alcohol. Low-risk drinking guidelines recommend less than 10 drinks a week for women, with no more than two drinks a day most days, and 15 drinks a week for men, with no more than three drinks a day most days. “Taking a harm reduction approach can help everyone who consumes alcohol. Harm reduction could look like diluting your wine with soda water and ice or having a non-alcohol beverage in between drinks to slow down consumption,” says Amanda.   Want to learn more? If you are concerned about your alcohol consumption, talk to your primary care provider about creating shared goals and improving your health. Check out these helpful resources and sources of information: Canadian Center on Substance Use and Addiction: Alcohol Canadian Institute for Health Information COVID-19 Alcohol and Cannabis Use Canada’s low-risk guidelines (also see video) COVID-19- Safer drinking tips BC Alcohol consumption (statistics) Interior Health Substance Use Services Alcohol: Drinking and Your Health (HealthLinkBC) Alcohol and Immune System  

Medical students based at the UBC Okanagan campus in Kelowna are helping front-line physicians in the battle against COVID-19 in the B.C. Interior. With the temporary suspension of clinical training in hospitals and clinics across the province, many medical students began looking for other ways to support physicians and patients during the pandemic. Over 80 students joined the B.C. COVID-19 medical student response team, a UBC student-led initiative supporting physicians and volunteer projects in all regions of the province. “Volunteering is a tangible and effective way to make a difference,” says Alex Monaghan, medical student and volunteer organizer. “We wanted to get involved out of appreciation and gratitude for those working to keep us protected and safe.” From providing childcare and personal assistance to physicians, to supporting patients remotely, students have rallied together to offer their support across the Interior Health region. Students have helped configure tablets with video messaging applications to help patients at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH) stay connected with their families. They also recently launched a meal preparation and delivery service to support physicians and their families. “As we adjust, both personally and professionally to the new realities of life with COVID-19, I’m deeply encouraged by the generosity and solidarity of this newest generation of future physicians,” says Dr. Sarah Brears, Interim Regional Associate Dean for the Southern Medical Program and family physician. “The extra support they’re offering to the community is helping many physicians stay focused on their work and their patients.” Medical student Brian Hayes is one of the volunteers helping out by entertaining the busy 18-month old of a local physician working at KGH. For Hayes, volunteering is a small way to give back during an unprecedented time. "As individuals committed to providing care to the public, we have a strong desire to assist those on the front lines,” says Hayes. “Volunteering our time to support physicians with an inflated workload or help with projects such as contact tracing allows us to be engaged in the COVID-19 response." As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, students remain committed to volunteering with projects that can support physicians, patients, and the health-care system as a whole. “We chose medicine because we have a deeply ingrained desire to make a difference in the lives of those around us,” says Monaghan. “Those values don’t disappear just because there’s a pause in our clinical training. We’re here to help in whatever form that takes.” Reprinted with permission from The University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus

  Dealing with a severe speech disorder and transitioning from hospital to home was more than enough for the Freeborn family to cope with. Adding COVID-19 to the mix and hospital visitor restrictions, and problems could have easily gone from bad to worse. Despite those challenges, this family was able to find a way around those obstacles, with the help of Kelly Talbott, a speech language pathologist at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH). Larry Freeborn was in hospital dealing with Wernicke’s aphasia, a disorder which makes it difficult for him to understand the meaning of spoken words and sentences. This condition also makes it a struggle for him to use words to express himself in a meaningful way. Earlier this month, Larry was finally well enough to go home. Prior to leaving KGH, Larry and his family needed help figuring out how to communicate with each other. But with physical distancing regulations at the hospital, the ideal process of face-to-face education in the same room was not an option. So Kelly devised a work-around to help this family get the support they needed at a critical time in their lives. In the days leading up to Larry’s transition home, Kelly joined his family from a safe distance on their daily visits with Larry though a hospital window. Through the window, she demonstrated the techniques this family would need to be successful communicating with each other. Although life inside and outside the hospital is not what it used to be, creativity and a people-focused approach made a big impact in the lives of this family.    

Is there an older adult in your life? Staying connected despite social distancing can be a real challenge.