We are IH: Brianna Hawkins

We are IH is a recognition campaign to spotlight Interior Health employees and medical staff – through pictures and stories. 

Name: Brianna Hawkins

Worksite: Rocky Mountain Lodge, Ktunaxa (Tun-ah-hah) / Kootenay Ktunaxa

Years of Service: 6

Job Title: Registered Dietitian

Growing up in Kitimat, a small town in northern British Columbia, Brianna was motivated to pursue a career in health care from a young age.

She found herself immersed in health care throughout her childhood, encouraged by her father's love for his career as a Lab Tech. Through her love of cooking, nutrition, and sciences, Brianna found her niche as a dietitian.

Eager for new experiences and furthering her education, Brianna spread her wings to another province and enrolled in the Registered Dietitian program at the University of Alberta. Inspired by her preceptors to relocate outside of Calgary after completing her internship in 2014, Brianna knew she wanted to move back to beautiful British Columbia. With only three suitcases in tow, she moved to Cranbrook. The plan was to only stay a year, but during that time, the Kootenays captured her heart and she is here to stay, luckily for us!

In her current role as a Dietitian at Rocky Mountain Lodge, Brianna loves working in both renal and acute care, making each day different and exciting. As part of the amazing renal team, she enjoys working with patients over months, or even years to experience real change and possibly delay dialysis. It’s moments like these that help her realize she is making a difference in the lives of others.

“I love the challenge of working in acute care, using a different set of skills and the fact every day is so different. I have an amazing dietitian co-worker who I learn from every day” _{- Brianna Hawkins}

A dietitian's major role is to help patients adapt to the dialysis diet so they can enjoy some of their favourite foods while still being aware of dietary recommendations. The dialysis diet can be restrictive and very challenging for patients to navigate. Having the support of a knowledgeable dietitian is crucial to help manage a chronic condition.

“I love being able to talk to patients about food and seeing the joy in their eyes when they can have their favourite Christmas dish or enjoy something special for their birthday.” _{- Brianna Hawkins}

A traveler at heart, Brianna is patiently waiting until she can explore new places again. First stop, Germany, followed by Peru and then Australia. In the meantime, she will continue to dream of planning her wedding in Hawaii!

Luckily during these times, Brianna can continue to be out hiking, running, and exploring the beautiful outdoors. As an avid chef, she spends a lot of time cooking delicious meals and trying new recipes. Thank you for all that you do, Brianna!

Nominate your colleagues to keep the We Are IH loop going: Name: Georgi Winger  Message: As a Chronic Kidney Disease Nurse, she does an amazing job keeping track of all our patients, managing an ever-increasing load, and is always there is talk! I couldn’t do my job without her!

For more information contact EmployeeExperience@InteriorHealth.ca.