Derrick Zabotel estimates he’s lost more than 80 family members and friends due to the opioid crisis. “I have a stack of obituaries this big,” he gestures with his hands. "Grief is one of the hardest things to deal with in life…because you just get over the passing away of a relative or a friend…then you don't even have the time to grieve for that person and there's already another one who's passing away. So it's affected me deeply." Originally of the Bonaparte First Nation in Cache Creek, Derrick’s Secwépemc name, Snéwt n péllêllkwé7, means Wind over Water. He’s a member of Interior Health’s Peer Advisory and works with ASK Wellness in Kamloops. He hopes to become an Indigenous Peer Navigator to be able to support programs that connect spiritually and culturally with Indigenous People. In the following video, he shares his story of addiction and grief, and the impact the toxic drug crisis has had on him these past nine years since the declaration of the toxic drug crisis public health emergency in B.C.  

Name: Devon Anne Zimmerman (she/her/hers)Job Title: Administrative AssistantYears of Service: 8Worksite: RemoteCommunity: Fernie, B.C.Ancestral Territory: Ktunaxa Favourite Quote / Advice to live by: You are who you are today because of what you experience in your life. That doesn't mean you are better or worse than anyone. It only means that you have knowledge and lessons to share. Everyone is different and that's what makes the world so exciting. If everyone was the same, the world would be a very boring place. Devon Zimmerman has been working in various positions at Interior Health (IH) since 2017, and as an administrative assistant to the director of Health System Planning (HSP) for the past two years. She lives in Fernie, B.C. with her two teenage sons, and works remotely from home.

Exit Page Quickly If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, help is available at your closest emergency department. The Interior Health (IH) Sexual Assault Forensic Examination (SAFE) Program offers a compassionate, confidential and supportive environment for those who have experienced sexual violence. This program ensures patients receive immediate medical and forensic care, regardless of whether they wish to report the assault to the police.

Lenora holds the Interior Salish Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls staff on May 27, 2021, at the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc gathering after they confirmed the discovery of the unmarked graves of 215 children who were students at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. Name: Lenora Anne Starr, “Cílcelnak” Job Title: Indigenous Cultural Safety Practice LeadYears of Service: Five monthsWorksite: MerrittCommunity: Interior Health regionAncestral Territory: Home: St’át’imc Nation; Current residence: Nlaka’pamux NationFavourite Quote / Advice to live by:  “Cw7áozas lhápenem ta nt’ákmenlhkalha múta7 ta nqwaluttenlhkálha” (We will not forget our way of life and our language) “Ci wa lh kalth ti tmicwa” (The land is ours) “To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best day and night to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight and ever stop fighting.” - E.E. Cummings St’át’imc is Lenora’s home Nation and where her heart will always reside, and she still frequents regularly. Nlaka’pamux is Lenora’s husband’s Nation and where they currently reside.  Lenora has been with Interior Health (IH) for less than a year as the Indigenous Cultural Safety Practice Lead. Lenora has two sons, a loving husband, a daughter-in-law, one granddaughter, horses, cats and one very entertaining French Bulldog. Lenora spends most of the working day in a home office elbows deep in policy work, taking the smudging guidelines into a more formal policy for IH.  Lenora and her husband, Arnie Lampreau, have been on evacuation from their community of Shackan since 2021 due to the atmospheric river that left their ranch below the new flood plain. Lenora says that negotiations with Indigenous Services Canada for safer new reserve lands is painfully slow and being forced to live in a rental in town is extremely frustrating. Lenora looks forward to eventually getting re-established in a new home, with a renewed sense of permanency and stability, having horses in the back yard again, and seeing the family enjoy the ranching lifestyle once again.  This spring, Lenora looks forward to getting into IH hospitals to research existing and needed culturally safe spaces and assisting in bringing improvements to fruition.

Content warning: This story deals with abuse, substance use and suicide. Trauma has long been recognized as a powerful force that can shape a person’s life, impacting not just their emotional and psychological health, but physical well-being as well. When trauma happens, especially early in life, it has the potential to change how the brain develops. It can disrupt our body’s ability to regulate stress hormones and affect key areas of the brain that control our emotions and behaviours. In this story, learn about trauma and its effects on our brains, nervous system and peoples' lives. You'll also hear from Linnea, a Peer Volunteer with Interior Health. Linnea shares her story of trauma and substance use, displayed as quotes throughout the story. We also share some of her poetry and photography that she posts on Instagram.

Dr. Miriam Oliver is a pediatrician and the head of the Department of Paediatrics at Penticton Regional Hospital. She's also a mother of two who feels strongly about protecting children and our community from preventable disease. She shared with us her professional experiences with young, unvaccinated patients and their families, and urges everyone to take measles seriously.

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 Sandra (Sandy) Wade, executive director of the Phoenix Foundation of the Boundary Communities.

Since she started working at the Nicola Valley Hospital and Health Centre (NVH) one-and-a-half years ago, social worker Natasha Thys has quietly made it her mission to ensure no patient in need leaves the hospital without proper clothing. “I like people,” says Natasha of why she started collecting clothing for hospital staff to distribute. “I like helping people and I like to just be that person who makes somebody’s day, even if it’s just a pair of socks.” All year long, Natasha collects all kind of clothing—sweatpants, sweaters, winter jackets and boots, gloves, toques and socks—from family, friends and the community at large. She often even stores the donations in her own garage at home, or in the back of her car, before taking them to the hospital to wash and keep handy for anyone who might need them. Recently, Natasha also received some extra help with clothing donations from the local thrift store because she was short on winter clothing. “A lot of the time homeless individuals in the community come in without proper clothing. For example, we had somebody come to the hospital last month with flip flops on and it was snowing. I was able to give them a pair of winter boots. We had someone else come to the hospital because they were cold and they only had a sweater and sweatpants on and we were able to give them a winter jacket. So, it’s just making sure they have those things they need. It makes me feel better because I know that they have warm clothes.” Natasha’s grandmother Florence lives in Kelowna and even helps out by knitting socks and toques for donation at NVH. “That’s her winter activity, but also I think she likes being involved in it too, knowing the things she is making are helping others.” Florence Allard knits socks and toques throughout the winter to donate to Nicola Valley Hospital where her granddaughter, Natasha Thys, is a social worker. Besides winter clothes, other needs can arise. For example, if a person is brought to hospital following a vehicle accident and their clothes have been cut off by paramedics, or if someone is having a longer hospital stay at the hospital and just needs a pair of slippers, they can be given clothing. In the summer months, patients may be brought into the hospital in a bathing suit and need more clothing. “When someone leaves the hospital, I like to make sure they are leaving with a pair of clothes, and that they are not leaving the hospital with just a hospital gown on,” says Natasha. “Anybody can use it.” Natasha grew up in Kelowna and found her way to Merritt during her education to become a social worker. She completed her last two years of study at Nicola Valley Institute of Technology and said she loves the outdoor lifestyle and small-town feel that Merritt offers. “Living in Merritt, you know the majority of the town. Your neighbour is the clerk at the grocery store and a lot of my neighbours are the police in town, so you get really familiar with everybody. And you get to know who in your community has those needs, and they might be someone you come across in my field of work, especially at the hospital, who might just need a little bit of something to help them out more.” When she’s not working, Natasha enjoys spending time with her spouse Trevor, her dog Oakley and travelling as well as ice fishing during the winter months.

Around the world, and closer to home, providing water for families for drinking, cooking, washing, bathing and hygiene usually falls on women’s shoulders. And inadequate access to water, sanitation and hygiene disproportionately affects women and girls. Yet women are typically under-represented at decision-making levels at institutions, organizations and government.   In honour of International Women’s Day (March 8) and World Water Day (March 22), we sat down with Dr. Charuka Maheswaran, a public health physician and medical health officer (MHO), and Glory Apantaku of the Population Health team with Interior Health (IH). Not only are they changing conversations around climate, water and health, but they’re helping and supporting IH in delivering on the strategic priority of addressing climate change and sustainability. We talked to them about their work, the deep connections between climate and health, and how they’re helping IH and our communities become more climate resilient.