Eight youth have been selected as winners for the 2024 Beyond the Buzz: Youth Voices on Tobacco, Cannabis, Vaping & Alcohol poster contest. Youth in grades 6–12 living in the Interior Health region were invited to participate in the contest. Judges from the Interior Health YOUTHWISE Advisory Group, all youth themselves, evaluated and scored each poster based on a specific set of criteria. The intent of the poster contest was to spark meaningful conversations about youth tobacco, cannabis, vapour product and alcohol use, and their impacts on youths’ health, environment and their communities. “By collaborating with youth, we learn and understand how they view the effects of tobacco, cannabis, vaping and alcohol on their lives, their friends and their communities,” says Dr. Fatemeh Sabet, a medical health officer at Interior Health. “The contest is also an opportunity to invite youth—who, with their developing brains, are more vulnerable the effects of the substances—to empower and educate themselves and others. If we can intervene earlier, we can help assure the long-term health of our younger generation.”

Foundations in the Interior region raise funds that support medical equipment, care needs, and innovative local initiatives in their communities. Each organization includes respected community leaders, volunteers and staff who are passionate about meeting the needs of patients and families in Interior Health. Thanks to the generosity of their supporters, we all have a stronger health system.  In this next story of our series on the incredible health-care and hospital foundations throughout our region, we interviewed Jerry Sanders, vice president and acting president of the Nicola Valley Health Care Endowment Foundation (NVHCEF).  

Name: Joanna (Jo) Harrison (she/her/hers)Job Title: Executive Director, Clinical Informatics, Digital HealthYears of Service: 18Worksite: RegionalCommunity: KamloopsAncestral Territory:  Secwépemc NationFavourite Quote / Advice to live by: “Life can be short and not all of us in this world get the gift of a long and healthy life. I try not to take that for granted so stay true to my values.” – Jo Harrison Joanna (Jo) Harrison knew from a young age she was interested in a career in health care. While most of her family are academics or engineers, Jo found herself drawn to the complexities of the human body. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy in London, UK, Jo worked in a tertiary hospital and joined the Territorial Army Medical Corps as a lieutenant physiotherapist. “I spent many of my weekends dressed in green practising skills to respond, coordinate and manage large-scale trauma situations and run field hospitals,” recalls Jo.

Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in B.C. More than 6,000 people die a year in B.C. due to tobacco use. What’s perhaps even more concerning is nine out of 10 people who use tobacco started in adolescence, according to the BC Lung Foundation. January 19–25 is National Non-Smoking Week. To mark this week, we invited Aditi, a middle school student in Kelowna, to chat with Dr. Silvina Mema, IH’s deputy chief medical health officer about smoking and vaping. Aditi is a member of Interior Health’s YOUTHWISE Advisory Group, an advisory group of youth 13–19 years old who help improve youth-focused health and well-being services. Read on to learn more about tobacco, smoking and vaping. Learn why vaping isn’t harmless and some good reasons to quit. We also offer a list of free resources and programs to help you commit to quit for good in 2025.

Name: Karen Moison (she/her/hers)Job Title: Executive Assistant to Chief Financial Officer & Vice President, Corporate ServicesYears of Service: 6Worksite: Kelowna Community Health Services CentreCommunity: Okanagan/KelownaAncestral Territory: syilx/Okanagan (O-kan-a-gan) Nation Favourite Quote / Advice to live by: The world is yours to explore! Karen Moison was born in Richmond, B.C. and grew up in Ladner. She’s been living in the beautiful Okanagan for 30 years. She divides her time between two communities: West Kelowna in the Okanagan and Christian Valley in Boundary Country, a community she plans to make her primary residence in the future. Karen is a compassionate, loving person who is deeply family-oriented. She’s always seeking new adventures! Karen has been with Interior Health (IH) since December 2018. She started as a project and administrative assistant in Strategic Initiatives. Karen transitioned to support the simulation department before accepting a Human Resources (HR) recruitment assistant role.

After a warm start to winter across much of the province, British Columbians are encouraged to prepare for colder weather and winter road conditions in the days and weeks ahead. As temperatures drop, it’s important to be aware of the health risks of cold. Here's what you can do to ensure you remain safe and healthy.

Name: Nicky Stewart (she/her/hers)Job Title: Food Service SupervisorYears of Service: 25Worksite: Cariboo Memorial HospitalCommunity: Williams LakeAncestral Territory: Secwépemc NationFavourite Quote / Advice to live by: “Always see the glass half full” and “You draw more bees to honey than vinegar.” Born in Vancouver, raised in Kamloops, and residing in the Cariboo, Nicolette (Nicky) Stewart is coming up on an impressive 26 years with Interior Health (IH). She cherishes spending time with her family, friends and dog, Tia, and is passionate about coaching her grandchildren’s soccer team alongside her daughter. That passion continues at work, where Nicky supervises the dietary department at Cariboo Memorial Hospital (CMH). “I have a great food services team that supports our many departmental successes,” she says. “I also have an excellent manager who continually allows us to bring forward and develop those successes.”

The Indigenous Engagement Team at Interior Health (IH) has been recognized as Runner-Up for the BC Quality Awards in the Leadership in Co-Designing Health Quality with Communities category. This recognition celebrates the team's innovative partnership with First Nations and Métis communities to create Nation-based health-care advocate roles, a groundbreaking approach to fostering equity and cultural safety in health care. Each advocate is co-managed by the engagement manager and a Nation manager. The advocates take direction primarily from their Nation’s priorities, ensuring their work aligns with community-specific needs and aspirations. For example, the Métis Nation BC Health Systems advocate worked to develop the Métis Health and Wellness Plan, which set forth eight priority areas for MNBC and IH to work together to create better health outcomes for Métis people in the Interior. This collaborative effort demonstrates the power of co-design in addressing systemic gaps and advancing community health. "In co-designing these positions with First Nations, Interior Health (IH) has done an incredible job in showcasing how a Health Authority and an Indigenous Nation/Community should work together," shared the Ulkatcho First Nation. "All work with our people and for our people should be driven by our people (nothing about us without us)." Another example is the role that advocates play in managing the letter of understanding (LOU) work between IH and the Nations. This includes organizing LOU meetings, revising the document, socializing  the document with the Nation, and incorporating changes as needed. By facilitating these processes, advocates ensure that the agreements are living documents that reflect current needs and mutual commitments.

You’ve tested your home for radon or are thinking of testing. Perhaps you purchased or borrowed a continuous radon monitor to short-term test or watch levels daily. Or, maybe you bought your kit online and performed a long-term test for a minimum of 91 days during the winter months, the ideal method of radon testing. Your results are showing your radon levels are over the Canadian Guideline of 200 Bq/m³ (Becquerels is a unit of radioactivity named after Henry Becquerel). Now what? In this story, we share why your results might be high and what you can do about it. We also cover special situations like new home builds and information for renters.