Name: Isla Coombs (she/her/hers)
Job Title: Business Partner, Employee Experience
Years of Service: 2.5
Worksite: Community Health & Services Centre
Community: Kelowna
Ancestral Territory: Syilx/ Okanagan Nation
Favourite Quote / Advice to live by: Treat others how they would like to be treated.
Whether you catch her representing Interior Health (IH) at the Kelowna Pride Festival, riding the slopes at Big White, or zooming down mountain bike trails, Isla Coombs is an energetic member of her community, and a force to be reckoned with.
Through her work on the Employee Experience team at IH, Isla is passionate about creating an inclusive, welcoming environment where staff feel culturally, psychologically, and spiritually safe.
Learn more about Isla’s journey with IH
From the Lhtako Dene Nation near Quesnel, B.C., Isla has worked in human resources (HR) for 10 years, primarily in the tourism and hospitality industry until the COVID-19 pandemic showed her that everything can change in an instant! She decided to start working in health care in a critical time for all of us, joining IH as a member of the benefits department in 2021.
“Overall, I really love working in health care, because supporting our staff is paramount to them being able to provide the best possible patient outcomes,” says Isla.
Isla now works in the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) space. She had always been interested in DEI, and though she started her career at IH in benefits, she jumped at the chance to join the Employee Experience team and bring her passion to her work. Isla feels fortunate that the Employee Experience team at IH has such a strong focus on DEI. “It has been a wonderful learning experience for me not only professionally, but personally, as I have been working through my own unconscious biases and actively participating in reconciliation efforts,” says Isla, “I learn something new from my amazing colleagues every day!”
Though she admits it can be challenging at times discussing topics such as racism and discrimination, she finds it rewarding when a staff member reaches out to thank her team for the work they do.
“We receive emails in Employee Experience where staff thank us for the work that we do, and those words really go a long way when it can sometimes feel like an uphill battle trying to validate the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion.”
In her day-to-day work, Isla is a co-author of Dive In – a quarterly newsletter for IH staff that shares information, resources and stories related to diversity, equity and inclusion. In it, she is proud to work with folks across IH to share stories that align with events like Asian Heritage Month, International Transgender Day of Visibility, Black History Month, and more.
“The staff who I have had the pleasure to work with have been so transparent about their challenges and successes, and by doing so are paving the path for those who follow.”
Outside of work, Isla enjoys hobbies and activities in the great outdoors. She loves downhill skiing, mountain biking, paddleboarding, cross country skiing, camping, and playing volleyball and softball. She also loves travelling, and dreams of visiting Iceland to reconnect with family (her great grandmother emigrated from Iceland many years ago) and explore the beautiful landscape.
Looking to the future, Isla is excited about Pride season! She loves getting out into the community and meeting people from all walks of life – and building community throughout IH when staff share their photos and experiences. You can find Isla running the IH booth at Kelowna Pride Festival on June 8 in City Park.
Isla nominates Kiara Henning, manager, Employee Experience to keep We Are IH going
“Kiara is a lovely manager/colleague who has such a passion for DEI! Plus she is always travelling and doing cool and interesting things with her family. I think she would be a great feature.” – Isla Coombs
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