Connie Griffin works in administrative services at the West Kelowna Health Centre. One of the volunteers she's worked with since 2001, Ingrid Hawthorne, now in her late 80s, retired at the end of November. Ingrid originally began volunteering in the baby clinic where she would greet the parent, get the baby checked in, and record their weight and measurements. This role has changed many times over the years, and now volunteers mostly act as greeters. Ingrid also volunteered at influenza clinics, greeting and registering people or being the line-up traffic director.

For many people, one of the best things about the holidays is the food. From the scrumptious side dishes of creamy mashed potatoes, to the decadent desserts of apple pies and all the laughs in between. Yet, the holidays can get so busy with shopping, entertaining, decorating and going out to celebrate that we often forget to take time to relax and enjoy the season. It is helpful to take time to pause and reflect. This reflection is sometimes referred to as mindfulness. The term “mindfulness” was defined by Jon Kabat-Zinn as “paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally.” According to an article in the Diabetes Spectrum journal, “the practice of mindfulness has helped thousands of people to live more intentionally and develop the skills necessary to manage chronic pain, disease, depression, sleeping problems, and anxiety.” Developing a mindfulness practice, especially mindful eating, may be helpful when holiday parties and dinner invitations abound.

Name: Diane Betman (she/her/hers)Job Title: Clinical Practice EducatorYears of Service: 15Worksite: Vernon Jubilee HospitalCommunity: VernonAncestral Territory: Syilx OkanaganFavourite Quote / Advice to live by: “Don’t go through life, grow through life.” – Eric Butterworth Born in Three Hills, Alberta (and, yes, there are actually three small hills close by), Diane Betman, clinical practice educator, has also lived in Nova Scotia, Brazil and B.C. In fact, she can speak Portuguese fluently as she lived in Brazil for 14 years. A friendly, positive person, when Diane reflects on her choices, she believes no other career would have given her more satisfaction than nursing.  “Being a nurse has given me the opportunity to meet so many different people and learn from them while supporting their health journey. I am always learning something new and, as a clinical practice educator, I get to share these learnings with other staff. I hope that at the end of the day I have been a positive influence in the lives of others.”

“Mommy, Mommy, make it stop!” “Make what stop?” “It’s loud. They’re yelling!” “Shhhhh, sweetie, no one is yelling.” “Stop, stop, aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh.” It’s 7 a.m. and, after I spent the night treating her high fevers, Marissa is finally feeling better but is suddenly terrified by what she’s hearing. Most parents would be similarly terrified while seeing their child in such distress; flailing, yelling and confused. Not me. As an emergency doctor I have seen many other kids hallucinating these last few weeks while sick with Influenza A. Our emergency department has been visited by children hearing loud sounds, seeing objects as too large or too far away, and feeling scared that someone or something is trying to hurt them. These young patients have all been influenza positive.

Name: Rebecca Myers (she/her/hers)Job Title: Patient Registration ClerkYears of Service: 20Worksite: Cariboo Memorial HospitalCommunity: Williams LakeAncestral Territory: SecwepemcAdvice to live by: You can die in debt. Self-described as short and feisty, Rebecca Myers, patient registration clerk in Williams Lake, celebrated her 20th anniversary with Interior Health this year. Rebecca started her career at Interior Health (IH) as a medical laboratory assistant, only just switching to patient registration in mid-2022 to expand her learning possibilities.

The District of 100 Mile House, situated on the traditional territory of the Secwepemc people, firmly supports the mindset that road safety is everyone’s business. With a population of just 15,000 in the district, it’s a small but progressive community. In fact, 100 Mile House has lowered all the speed limits on their municipal roads to 30 km/h, the same speed for school zones and playgrounds during posted hours. The community continues to take all reasonable steps to lower the injury risk for their residents and vulnerable road users (e.g., pedestrians, roadside workers, cyclists, and people who use e-scooters, e-bikes, skateboards, etc.). “It’s important that everyone plays their part to prevent transportation-related injuries,” said Dr. Silvina Mema, Medical Health Officer, Interior Health. “These injuries also affect our communities in other ways. There are significant personal impacts, as well as health-care costs, for people who experience serious injuries.”

Name: Dr. Carol Ward (she/her/hers)Job Title: Geriatric psychiatristYears of Service: 17Worksite: Royal Inland HospitalCommunity: KamloopsAncestral Territory: Tk’emlúps te SecwépemcAdvice to live by: Be curious. Personal stories hold immaculate power, especially in their ability to connect people in the most authentic and meaningful way. Because of this reason, Dr. Carol Ward, a geriatric psychiatrist, ensures that understanding personal stories become the cornerstone of a patient’s treatment plan. Carol is most known for her work in caring for older adult patients living with dementia - whom she shares a special and natural connection with. Growing up in the Atlantic Provinces, Carol recalls having friends who were extraordinarily funny and resilient seniors.

Interior Health has been running a program that gives people who have lived with or have living experience with substance use the opportunity to get involved and share their voice. IH’s Peer Inclusion and Engagement Project offers a variety of ways that people can share their expertise: through employment with IH as a Peer Support Worker, or through Peer Advisory Group and Peer Volunteer roles (both of which pay honorariums). Brock Thomas is a Peer Volunteer with the program and a member of the Spallumcheen (Splatsin) Band. He was recruited to be part of the Integrated Treatment Team in North Okanagan (Enderby/Salmon Arm area) and has been with the program from the beginning; he was one of the first to complete the intensive 11-week, provincial peer support training curriculum in 2020. Brock’s involvement in a pilot peer support initiative with the Splatsin community has been integral to exploring ways in which the IH peer program can potentially strengthen connection and supports in an Indigenous community. “There is a toxic drug crisis in British Columbia,” Brock said. “Twelve people have died in the past year in my community from overdose and I wanted to be part of change.”

Exposure to radon gas is a preventable health risk. The only way to know the level of radon gas in your indoor environment is to test for it.  We encourage residents living, working and playing in the B.C. Interior region to test for radon in their homes, places of work and indoor leisure environments.