We are IH: Admin assistant aims to create positive impact

April 10, 2025

Devon wears her dad's cowboy hat on a trek to the top of Dove Hill in Ootischenia, B.C. on the outskirts of her hometown, Castlegar.

Name: Devon Anne Zimmerman (she/her/hers)
Job Title: Administrative Assistant
Years of Service: 8
Worksite: Remote
Community: 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.

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Learn more about Devon’s journey with IH

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Learn more about Devon’s journey with IH

Six people standing in a row on the rooftop deck of an office building overlooking a city skyline with two tall highrise buildings, mountains and cloudy blue sky in the background — Health System Planning Team (L-R): Abigail Dueck, Chikwere Dike, Amanda McDougall, Devon Zimmerman, Tanya Gaskell and Shelley Allan, Specialist, on the rooftop patio of the Kelowna Community Health Services Centre.

Wanting to help people in any way she could, Devon chose a career in health care. She believes everyone deserves proper health care that meets their needs, whether spiritual, holistic or medical. “Everyone is entitled to be healthy and happy,” she says.

This philosophy motivates Devon in her day-to-day tasks, as she aims to create a positive impact on patients, clients and clinical staff. It’s how she makes her workdays successful and rewarding.

In her previous role, Devon created a standard of work document for the surgical booking clerk position at Elk Valley Hospital (EVH). This helped her train the casual employees so they felt confident to work in her position while she was on vacation. She also recently completed a standard of work for Microsoft OneNote for her current position.

The work that she is most proud of, however, is her work towards reconciliation through allyship.

She was recently nominated for Reconciliation Recognition which acknowledges IH staff who are working towards creating culturally safe care for Indigenous people, and advancing reconciliation efforts for IH at the client, program, service or systemic level.

“My allyship journey is the most rewarding. The Health System Planning team has been incredibly supportive of my efforts to continue to learn more about my heritage and match my excitement in unlearning and relearning.”

-- Devon Zimmerman

Devon worked very hard to get to this point in her career. “In my 30s, I took a medical transcription course, hoping to be able to apply for positions within IH,” she explains. “I started off working as a casual for patient registration in Sparwood, then trained to be a casual for the Mental Health and Substance Use (MHSU) desk and the Immunization/Vaccine ordering desk, followed by more casual positions in Fernie at the Elk Valley Hospital.

“I then had an opportunity for a permanent position in housekeeping to increase my seniority. Once I had the seniority, I was able to apply for a permanent part-time position as a surgical booking clerk at EVH.”

Long-haired blonde woman wearing black top and glasses sits in front of whiteboard and beige wall tiles. — Devon Zimmerman at Kelowna Community Health and Services Centre (CHSC).

Once the workload and number of surgeries increased, Devon was able to make a case for a permanent full-time position. She worked as the surgical booking clerk for two years before finding her current position as administrative assistant to the director of Health System Planning.

For Devon, a typical day may include booking meetings for the HSP director and other HSP specialists, creating agendas, recording meeting minutes, creating and uploading documents, maintaining the Health System Planning intranet pages, and working on practicum student intake procedures.

She’s involved with IH’s Innovation Committee and performs administrative duties for them. “I meet with my director weekly to discuss additional work, and I connect as often as possible with other administrative assistants to collaborate and help to solve problems together,” adds Devon.

As a mom, Devon is very proud of her sons’ accomplishments. “I love to be the loudest—and most positive—cheerleader for my sons,” she says. “They eat, sleep and breathe hockey.”

Devon loves to listen to music when she goes out walking—a favourite form of exercise that she likes to do as often as possible. “This is not only good for my body, but it is also my way to think, de-stress and support my weight loss journey.”

Growing up in Castlegar, Devon had the option to learn Russian during school instead of French because of the high population of Doukhobor people in the area. “I spent most of my childhood summers on my family's houseboat on the Arrow Lakes,” says Devon. Every summer, she returns with her sons to enjoy some vacation time with her family. She’s also looking forward to spending some time with “the people who may not be blood related but are still family to me and my heart.”

Woman wearing blue and black clothes, sandals and necklace, stands among rocks in front of a cliff at the bottom of a waterfall. — Devon at the Tulip Creek waterfalls, a location that is sacred to her.

Devon’s eldest son will be graduating this year. “He has come such a long way,” she shares. “I’m so proud of him and the hard work he has shown throughout his school years. I’m really looking forward to what his future has in store for him.”