Celebrating 20 years of great care at Hillside Centre

Since opening its doors in 2006, Hillside Centre has played a vital role in delivering specialized, tertiary psychiatric care to patients across the Interior region. 

Located on the Royal Inland Hospital campus in Kamloops, the 47-bed facility was designed to support individuals with the most complex mental health needs—providing a safe, structured environment, and highly skilled team for stabilization, assessment, and recovery.

20 years later, Hillside is still providing the same great care to its patients.

“Many people may not realize the level of expertise and specialized care that is offered at Hillside,” says Jessica Mensinger, Interior Health mental health & substance use clinical operations director.

Hillside’s manager Lauren Phillips added, “The impact of Hillside in our community, region, and province has been tremendous. We’ve supported people through some of their most challenging moments and helped them move forward. It’s incredibly meaningful work.”

As a tertiary psychiatric facility, Hillside provides care that goes beyond what is typically available in community or acute care settings.

Its interdisciplinary teams offer expert assessment, treatment planning, and stabilization for patients whose needs require a higher level of specialization and coordination. This role has become increasingly important over time.

Lauren notes that while the patient population has evolved — including an increase in younger patients — Hillside continues to adapt and respond with expertise and compassion.

“We are seeing more complex presentations, and that speaks to why specialized environments like Hillside are so essential,” she says. “Our teams are highly skilled at supporting individuals with overlapping mental health and substance use challenges, and we continue to see strong outcomes.”

Those outcomes include helping patients transition back into their communities with appropriate supports in place.

Hillside also plays a critical role in supporting families during difficult times.

“For many families, there is a real sense of relief,” says Lauren. “They know their loved one is in a safe place, receiving expert, compassionate care. That allows them to step back into their role as a family member rather than a full-time caregiver.”

On May 8, Hillside celebrated its 20-year milestone by bringing together current and former staff to honour its legacy of care.

“It was incredibly special to reconnect with so many people who helped build Hillside into what it is today,” Lauren says. “From the original leadership team to long-time staff, their commitment laid the foundation for the care we provide now.”

Dr. Tochi Anyansi, Hillside’s medical director, is optimistic about Hillside’s continued impact.

“As we move into the next 20 years, our focus remains on leading with compassion and excellence in tertiary psychiatric care,” he says. “We are proud to support some of the region’s most vulnerable individuals, and to help them find stability and hope. We remain committed to improving access to tertiary psychiatric care in our region and will continue to prioritize person- and family-centered care in alignment with Interior Health’s strategic priorities.”

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