We are IH is a recognition campaign to spotlight Interior Health employees and medical staff – through pictures and stories.
Name: Allison New
Job Title: Community Integrated Care Coordinator
Years of Service: 22
Worksite: Shuswap Home Health Services
Community: Salmon Arm
Ancestral Territory: Secwepemcúl’ecw (Secwépemc)
Favourite Quote: "Stay true to yourself and the values you hold most dearly. Integrity matters, but just as importantly, so does love and connection to others. " -Allison New
Allison embarked on a career as a nurse with Interior Health over 22 years ago. With her role as the palliative care coordinator at the Shuswap Home Health Services, she continues to deliver quality care to all patients and families, the same way she would want her loved ones to be treated.
A pivotal moment in her career sparked from attending the MOREob program, where teamwork and safety help transform maternity care within the team at Shuswap Lake General Hospital. Furthering her skillset, patient care was positively affected through her team's engagement. She has recently taken on the role of team lead at Shuswap Home Health services and hopes to continue the same work but now it will be for a broader community population.
“Bedside nursing and leading nurses for me is all about helping patients and families achieve their goals and wishes while navigating our complex health care system. Nursing is diverse and we see people at very intimate and intense times in their lives. I have been lucky to assist patients needing maternity care, acute/intensive care, and community-based end-of-life care during my career and it has all been very rewarding work.”
Working in the diverse field of nursing, Allison has had the opportunity to work in an array of settings, from maternity care, acute/intensive care and community-based end-of-life care. This rewarding work has driven her to partake in the development of a dedicated palliative nursing team. Over the past 16 months, statistics show that their goal of complementing the community-based palliative care program in the Shuswap is a success. With referral rates and home-based death rates significantly increasing over 30 per cent, this reaffirmed the team of their ongoing hard work.
Outside of her nursing career, Allison lives life to the fullest. Describing herself as an energetic introvert, she proudly acknowledges that she has no social media presence; her adventures in the outdoors show that she likes living in the moment. Some of the joys in her life include traveling and exploring B.C. with her husband, either via house boating on the Shuswap or in their camper van.
Allison also has a green thumb, tending to her gardening on a small acreage in Tappen, and she's lucky to be able to take in the scenery of her vineyard and Shuswap lake from the patio of her guest cabin.
Another significant part of Allison's life is her Indigenous roots, which she recently began to explore. Thanks to her auntie, she is now a member of the Saik-uz native band located near Vanderhoof and hopes to celebrate and learn more about this part of her heritage in the near future. Thank you Allison for all that you do!
Allison's nomination keeps the We Are IH loop going:
“Janice is a phenomenal nurse who works in a Long Term Care facility. Patients and their families always come first for Janice and her position can come under some intense pressures at times! Grace under fire is how I would describe Janice as well as fun-loving and eternally professional. She leads nurses who care for patients with complex dementia care needs, short-term rehab and stabilization needs, and those needing end-of-life care. She is adept at juggling many different needs and does it with a smile and a joke handy. She is a valued member of our Salmon Arm community of health care workers." - Allison New
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