We Are IH: East Shore admin assistant enjoys ‘garden therapy’

December 15, 2022

Name: Kathy Smith (she/her/hers)
Job Title: Administrative Services
Years of Service: 15
Worksite: East Shore Community Health Centre
Community: East Shore/Crawford Bay and Surrounding Communities
Ancestral Territory: Kootenay/Ktunaxa
Favourite Quote / Advice to live by: The best gift you can give someone is your time.

Kathy Smith was born in Edmonton. She lived in the towns of Calmar, Warburg and Whitecourt, Alta., before moving to Riondel, B.C. in 1999. Kathy considers herself “loyal to a fault at times” and likes to help people.

She believes this career chose her. “When asked if I wanted to work as a receptionist in a small clinic in Riondel for Dr. Savory, little did I know that it was so much more than just answering a phone and making appointments. I have been able to help people who have a hard time trying to navigate our ever-changing system. It has been a very huge learning curve for me, which I love.”

In this Story…

Learn more about her journey with IH

Explore Administrative Careers at IH

Learn more about her journey with IH

White-haired woman wearing glasses and a coat, leaning on railing of a ferry boat. — Kathy on the ferry to Nelson.

Not many people know that at one time, Kathy worked in the kitchen at a small hospital in Whitecourt, where she took her dietary aide course. She was also a showroom manager for a plumbing wholesale, which required a lot of people skills. On top of this, Kathy has delivered many speeches over the years, something she trained for through Toastmasters.

One of her favourite hobbies is gardening, or “garden therapy” as she likes to call it. She enjoys sewing, photography and spending as much time as she can with her five grandchildren.

Garden with large green leaves, trees, lawn, bird bath and feeder. — Kathy feels that gardening is therapy.

But when it comes to her career, Kathy is clear about her motivation and its rewards.

I will always be grateful for everything I have learned in this role and the great people I have been able to work with. In this organization, there are truly exceptional people who have a common goal, which is to help our patients.

-- Kathy Smith

Explore Administrative Careers at IH

Have you thought about an Administrative Career with IH?

Explore career opportunities

top employer

3 Minute Read

Community & Culture

Honouring Avril – A legacy of hope at Cariboo Memorial Hospital

For nearly 3 decades, a small playroom in CMH emergency has been a sanctuary for children and families. Today, Avril’s Room is being reimagined in the new ED.

/stories/honouring-avril-legacy-hope-cariboo-memorial-hospital

3 Minute Read

Health & Wellness

Growing food and minds – Learning about food with a modular farm

KLO Middle School students are learning about food in a fun, innovative and hands-on way thanks to a modular farm and a creek restoration project.

/stories/growing-food-and-minds-learning-about-food-modular-farm

4 Minute Read

Community & Culture

We are IH: Nurse educator fosters equitable access to education

Blending her two passions of teaching and health care, Echo Porlier aims to promote equitable access to education through her work in rural and remote nursing.

/stories/we-are-ih-nurse-educator-fosters-equitable-access-education

3 Minute Read

Community & Culture

Launch your nursing career with the ESN/ESPN paid work program

Our Employed Student Nurse/Employed Student Psychiatric Nurse program offers students real-world experience under the guidance of an experienced RN, RPN or NP.

/stories/launch-your-nursing-career-esnespn-paid-work-program

2 Minute Read

Community & Culture

We are IH: Registered nurse of 35 years pursued her dream

Diana Heighes has much of her career at Royal Inland Hospital. For 10 years she has worked in day care surgery and even had a chance to work with her daughter.

/stories/we-are-ih-registered-nurse-35-years-pursued-her-dream