It is almost impossible to find a person in Canada today who has not been impacted by COVID-19. Every family across the country has been coping with some level of change in routine. One group particularly hard hit by recent changes are people living in long-term care or assisted living homes. In an effort to protect this vulnerable group, homes have restricted visitor access, changed group activities, and modified dining routines. To help ease the burden and keep families connected, the Overlander long-term care home in Kamloops has been getting creative. They set up a family hotline to coordinate information sharing and arrange video conference calls between people living at Overlander and their loved ones. The Royal Inland Hospital Foundation, the Overlander Auxiliary and even a few community members have generously donated technology to allow these virtual meetings to keep happening. “It’s a great opportunity for us to check in with families, let them know we are doing okay, and give them updates on visiting, care packages and how to keep in touch,” says recreation therapist Sherri Molnar.  “This is a true extension of the work we already do in recreation. Part of our role is to establish and maintain relationships with families, and programs like the family hotline help to support the communication that our community has come to depend on.”   To protect the health of people living and working in long-term care and assisted living facilities, in-person visits have been restricted to essential visitors only. So the creative team at Overlander has set up window visits where families sit outside the window and call in to our cell phone to speak with their loved one.  “Window visits have become quite popular," says Sherri. "We have created a frame of hearts where the families sit, and they get a chance to look each other in the eye, and speak on the phone. Some really heart-warming conversations have happened between husbands who used to be able to visit every day, to children placing their hands on the glass to feel like they are holding grandma’s hand. It's one way we can reassure our families that their loved one is not alone, and we care for them too."

Ticks are arachnids that feed on animal blood in order to grow and reproduce. Compared to insects, which have six legs, ticks, like spiders and other arachnids have eight legs. They are hematophages, meaning they meet all their nutritional needs through eating blood, and need a blood meal to grow from one life stage to another. This adaptation evolved 120 million years ago! Did you know ticks have special proteins in their saliva that prevent animals from noticing that they have been bit? Some researchers are studying these proteins to try to develop medicines. Ticks cannot fly or jump, so adult ticks “quest” for an animal to bite by climbing to the top of tall grasses and other vegetation, holding on with a few legs and extending the others so they can hop on to an animal (such as a deer, dog or human) as they brush past. They need the grass in order to quest, but they like to stay in the shade, so they are most often found in grassy areas close to trees. There are more than 20 species of ticks found in British Columbia. The main species of ticks that bite humans in B.C. are the Rocky Mountain Wood Tick and the Western Black-legged Tick. You can read more about B.C. ticks here. Most of the time, tick bites are harmless. We know from testing programs that the risk of infection from a tick bite is very low (only around one per cent of ticks tested in B.C. have the bacteria that can cause Lyme disease). Even if a tick has a germ that can cause illness, removing the tick within 24-36 hours of a bite can prevent an infection. Prevent tick bites: Keep grass near trees in your yard short, so that adult ticks don’t have a place to climb up. When hiking, stick to defined trails rather than walking through long grass. If that’s not possible or likely, wear long pants. You can tuck your pants into your boots or socks to make sure no ticks can get inside. You can also use an insect repellent that contains DEET. Check for ticks: You likely won’t feel tick bites so it’s important to check for ticks. After spending time in the outdoors, check yourself and your loved ones (especially kids and/or dogs) for ticks. Ticks prefer areas with thin skin, so they usually climb towards the groin, armpits or head/neck, so be sure to check all those places. Remove ticks: Learn how to safely remove a tick yourself. If you’re not comfortable, you can see your family doctor to help you remove a tick and submit it for testing. Submit ticks for testing: Ticks found on B.C. residents can be tested for free at the BCCDC Public Health Laboratory if submitted by a physician. Commercial tick tests are not recommended. If you’ve removed a tick yourself, and you want to submit it for testing, save it for your doctor by putting it in a container with a tight lid with a damp cotton ball to keep it alive. Write down the location where you think the tick came from, and make an appointment with your doctor as soon as you can.  

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.

On June 28, 1969, police raided Manhattan’s Stonewall Inn, a meeting place for LGBTQ2+ people. When they demanded to conduct sex verification checks on trans women, a spontaneous protest broke out. This protest started the conversation about LGBTQ2+ issues and the battle for acceptance and inclusion. It was also the start of what today we celebrate as Pride. Fifty years later, Pride celebrations happen throughout the world and here in Canada during the summer. They include parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia and concerts. Memorials are also held for those members of the community who have been lost to hate crimes or HIV/AIDS. Pride is an opportunity to recognize the impact of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and two spirit people in our communities. . . . As a community of more than 21,000 employees throughout B.C.’s interior, Interior Health’s people hold stories of both the painful past and the hopeful future of Pride.   ….. Renee’s story: “This month is a sombre time for me to remember some of the more painful experiences in my life. I think back on when my cousin’s teenage child committed suicide after coming out gay to an unaccepting family and was unable to get supportive health services. I remember when my friend’s child descended into depression, poverty and addiction after being fired from their job after coming out as trans. I also think of my friend who has been left permanently disabled after being stalked and savagely attacked while walking home from work, for no other reason than being visibly trans,” says environmental health officer, Renee Ansel. “It’s important for organizations like IH to acknowledge Pride. We need to stand up – and not be complacent about cruel cultural values that ruin lives and tears families apart.”   … Allen’s story: “I’m the ‘minority of the minority’ because I’m not white and not straight – a double whammy you might say. To take this even further, I’m a gay man working in a women-dominated workplace in health care – so perhaps that constitutes a triple whammy,” says medical laboratory technologist, Allen Lee. “For a person of colour, and a person of the LGBTQ2+ community; diversity and inclusion is paramount to my career growth. It gives me a great pleasure and power to be myself in showing my creativity and passion in my work, which is an extension of my personal life. It’s important that minority voices like my own, are heard despite our skin colour, gender, culture differences, and abilities.”   … Lannon’s story: “I’ve identified with the LGTBQ2+ community since my late teenage years. I have been blessed throughout my life to be supported by family and friends and to have very rarely experienced discrimination,” says Lannon De Best, clinical operations director for the North Okanagan. “Differences are important in our communities and in our workplaces. Difference is what creates space for us to find the best solutions.” “In my life, I’ve learned a small degree of change can take you down a new path, to a new place and that’s what I hope for.” . . .   For support and information, explore local resources in your community or visit these links: What Does Two-Spirit Mean? (video)Trans Care BCPFLAG CanadaEgale CanadaWhat's ON Queer BCAMSSA: Resources to Support LGBTQ2 Newcomers 

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  

A white heart is a symbol commonly used to convey hope, pure thought and steadfast intention. The White Heart Project was created by the Kelowna General Hospital Foundation and inspired by a deep appreciation for health-care staff and the tremendous sacrifice they are making. In recent weeks, white hearts have sprung up across hospitals and communities throughout B.C.'s interior. Other hospital foundations have joined the movement, including: Kamloops, Vernon, Shuswap, Salmon Arm, Guelph, Medicine Hat, and Whistler.   Want to join in? Check out the White Heart Project online Download and display the signature White Heart on your door Join the #whiteheartproject on social media   The walkway at Kelowna General Hospital Harmony Honda in Kelowna displays their white hearts. A construction site displays a white heart. Centennial hall at Kelowna General Hospital. Kelowna grocery store displays their white heart.

When Harm Reduction Coordinator Lesley Coates received the latest quarterly report on provincial overdose statistics, it confirmed what she and colleagues had been hearing anecdotally from the community for weeks. They had seen a steady, yet slow decline in overdose deaths over the last two years (139 in 2019, compared to 233 in 2018). The first three months of 2020 were painting a different picture. Between January and March 2020, 46 people in the IH region lost their lives because of an overdose. B.C. has two public health emergencies intersecting: The ongoing public health emergency declared in April 2016 due to increasing opioid overdoses and deaths, and the COVID-19 public health emergency declared on March 17, 2020. Harm Reduction Coordinators, Medical Health Officers and Mental Health & Substance Use (MHSU) staff across Interior Health have the unique challenge of responding to these concurrent health crises. “Our team has been fielding calls from a number of harm reduction agencies and community partners in several communities over the last few weeks. Many regions are reporting an increase in overdose activity." “We have an increasingly unpredictable drug supply right now, so taking steps to prevent overdose is very important.” Harm Reduction Coordinator Lesley CoatesThe Mental Health and Substance Use Network has been working with program directors across the region to assess the impact the COVID-19 response has had on overdose response and make adjustments where necessary. “We want to make sure that the improvements we've made through targeted interventions are not lost. For example, we need to ensure Take Home Naloxone kits and other harm reduction supplies continue to be available, and that there are no new barriers to accessing Opioid Agonist Treatments as a result of COVID-19,” says Substance Use Director Corinne Dolman. “There is no doubt that it has been a particularly difficult period of time for many people, including people who use drugs, and some have been significantly impacted by this pandemic.” “Are the important measures we are taking to flatten the curve impacting overdose risk? Certainly components of the COVID-19 response may change how and where illicit drugs are made; physical distancing may separate us from important supports and services; and people may become apprehensive to seek or offer care due to fear of COVID-19 infection. At the same time, people are more stressed and many have lost jobs. There is a real risk for mental health issues to be exacerbated, and for alcohol and drug consumption to increase,” says Medical Health Officer Dr. Karin Goodison. According to the B.C. Centre for Substance Use, COVID-19 is a virus that can cause a respiratory infection and other health problems, and Fentanyl and other opioids can slow a person's breathing rate, so COVID-19 may increase the risk of overdose death from opioids. In these complex times, Dr. Goodison says social connections can and should continue. Essential services, such as drug checking, overdose prevention sites and supervised consumption services, Naloxone distribution and access to treatment and support continue to be available, but in some cases these services may look slightly different. “We can, and we will, continue to move forward to address both of these public health emergencies."Dr. Karin Goodison "We will continue to support people to stay safe whether they are keeping their distance when exercising, or using drugs with a buddy or at an overdose prevention site. In fact, we just opened our new overdose prevention service in Vernon with appropriate COVID-19 prevention measures in place.” Interior Health urges anyone who uses drugs to take steps to prevent overdose. How to prevent overdose and use drugs safer during COVID-19: Buddy up when you are using. COVID-19 is passed by droplets. Stay two metres (6.5 ft.) from your buddy to avoid passing the virus. Using with a buddy is safer than using alone.If self-isolating, find your buddies who can bring you food, harm reduction supplies, medicine, and substances so that you can stay well. You can also be a buddy to those who may need extra support. Check in on your buddies regularly.Continue to use overdose prevention services, supervised consumption sites and supportive housing overdose prevention sites. Thorough cleaning that takes place at these sites will help reduce the spread of infection.Continue to use drug checking services. For locations visit: www.drugchecking.ca. Call ahead as hours may have changed.Don’t mix different drugs (including pharmaceutical medications, street drugs, and alcohol).Use less and pace yourself. Do testers to check strength – take a small sample of a drug before taking your usual dosage.Carry a Naloxone kit and know how to use it. A list of locations to get a kit can be found on the Toward the Heart.Recognize the signs of an overdose: slow or no breathing, gurgling or gasping, lips/fingertips turning blue, difficult to awaken, or non-responsive.If someone is experiencing an overdose or is witnessing an overdose, follow overdose response steps outlined by the BC Centre for Disease Control, and call 9-1-1 immediately.Consider treatment options – talk with your health-care provider or contact one of our Mental Health and Substance Use offices, which offer a full range of services to improve the health and well-being of people with substance use problems.Want to learn more? Check out these resources: Overdose prevention and COVID-19 Supervised Consumption Services in Kelowna and Kamloops Overdose Prevention Site at the Vernon Downtown Primary Care CentreOverdose Prevention Site in NelsonInterior Health overdose emergency web pageInterior Health's Mental Health and Substance Use Centres

Two registered nurses from Royal Inland Hospital (RIH) proved Saturday that love will prevail even in the time of COVID-19. When Amanda McKay and James Futerko couldn’t have the wedding of their dreams, they chose a different option that honoured their colleagues and the workplace where they met. On Saturday, standing before a marriage commissioner in the roundabout traffic circle at RIH, the couple exchanged vows in front of family and friends, all positioned strategically apart from each other. As a slight wind blew and vehicles came to a standstill, guests watched from around the sidewalk and the second, third and fourth levels of the parkade. When the ceremony ended, a loud cheer went up and applause broke out – the cloud of the pandemic momentarily forgotten. It was a fitting start for the marriage of Amanda, an Emergency and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) registered nurse, and James, an registered nurse on the High Acuity Response Team, who met on the job at RIH in 2017 when Amanda was filling a temporary position in the ICU. “We were going to get married in Chilliwack on James’ family farm. When the pandemic started, we realized we had to do something different, but also something special,” said Amanda. Someone joked they should get married at the hospital and the idea, amusing at first, took on the grains of a possibility that became a reality with the support of Interior Health and RIH leadership.  L-R: Matt Stubbings, Richard Jewitt, bride and groom and Shanta Rishy-Maharaj. Photo courtesy of Captured by Nicole Photography. “We were happy to support Amanda and James in holding their wedding on site,” said Richard Jewitt, RIH clinical director who oversees the Emergency Department. “It is important to recognize that positive events can take place at this time, even as we adhere to public health standards such as physical distancing.” For Amanda and James, the unusual wedding location meant they were getting married at a place close to their hearts. “I really love working here,” said Amanda. And despite COVID-19, the timing was perfect. Two nurses getting married during National Nurses Week, in the Year of the Nurse, and in the midst of the biggest health emergency since 1918.   How they got engaged James and Amanda are avid mountain bikers and they prefer that special events reflect what they value in their lives. So, last September James made a plan. He got a ring and arranged a bike ride up Vedder Mountain in Chilliwack on a date he hoped would be a perfect fall day. They woke up to pouring rain and cold wind. Fortunately, Amanda is a hearty type – as nurses tend to be. With no hint of what was ahead, she agreed to put on her rain gear, climb on her bike and away they went, the weather getting worse all the time. Splashing uphill through mud puddles, they arrived at the location James had in his mind for his proposal.  He turned on the music in preparation to pop the question, but other cyclists at the same spot delayed him. So he asked her to dance – which they also both love to do – in the mud instead. They danced through his proposal song, “Georgia,” and then the coast was clear. He acted quickly, getting down on one knee and while a song played that neither can even remember now, he asked her the question.     The shocked and muddy bride-to-be asked, “What? This is happening now?” And then she said yes.               

Cancer treatment can be one of the most exhausting emotional and physical experiences, both for the person living with it, and for their family. Now imagine the added anxiety and complexity of needing care during the COVID-19 pandemic, and that exhausting experience has just become even more challenging. While cancer care teams across Interior Health have worked tirelessly to protect these vulnerable patients, Dr. Phillip Malpass, a community oncologist from Nelson, realized he could take additional steps to support his patients while being mindful of COVID-19 precautions. He quickly pivoted his care model to incorporate virtual care for some of his patients.   “As physicians, we always strive to bring care closer to home. Virtual technology allows us to bring that care right to patients – in the comfort of their community, and in the comfort of their home,” says Dr. Malpass.  Dr. Phillip Malpass Although exploring and expanding options for virtual care is not a new concept in Interior Health, the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has quickly moved the concept to the forefront for care providers across the region.  The option of virtual appointments allows Dr. Malpass’ patients the option of having additional family members or caregivers also participate in appointments – increasing their comfort and allowing them the support they need, when they need it. It’s all about removing obstacles to care, he says. Because of technology, his patients (especially those in rural areas) are able to reduce travel, save time, and spend less effort and money getting to appointments. These things can make a significant impact on people who may be feeling unwell, and impacts families already struggling to provide care and emotional support. Beyond patient visits, Dr. Malpass also uses virtual technology to connect with the multidisciplinary team with whom he meets regularly. This allows the team to collaborate and provide a cohesive circle of care for people living with cancer, all while observing social and physical distancing and keeping safe themselves. Dr. Malpass’ commitment to the virtual approach is more comfortable for patients and for staff – and it’s resulting in safe, quality oncology care in the Nelson area.