We are IH: Tara Lecavalier

August 26, 2021

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

Name: Tara Lecavalier (she/her)

Job Title: Pharmacy Technician Supervisor

Years of Service: 13 years

Worksite: East Kootenay Regional Hospital (EKRH)

Community: Cranbrook

Ancestral Territory: Ktunaxa (Tun-ah-hah)/Kootenay
Ktunaxa

Favourite Quote: "Be patient. It is a skill that, when learned, is invaluable." _-Unknown

Tara Lecavalier is a 10th generation French Canadian. She was born and raised in Fernie, B.C., where her family has a long history.

"I love being part of projects that help move IH and pharmacy services forward."

Tara has worked for Interior Health for 13 years--for the past six years as a pharmacy technician supervisor. As a pharmacy technician in a hospital setting, she has seen tech roles grow and change.

"I'm looking forward to gaining more technical knowledge and understanding of our team and IH's processes. There is so much to learn!"

In 2018, Tara was asked to join the Next Generation Clinical Leadership Cohort. The year-long, in-person and online course was transformational and thought provoking.

"I met an amazing group of ladies and gents and learned so much about the many different nursing roles in IH. I feel pride when I see technicians change roles, move to other locations and take on projects--all to improve their skill set or expand their scope."

Tara looks forward to the new build and upgrades to sterile compounding in the EKRH pharmacy. These upgrades will help pharmacy staff produce the best product for patients and create a safer environment for IH staff.

Photo captions: Above left: Tara pauses during her work day in the EKRH pharmacy. Above right: Tara and her dog spend their free time walking and hiking. "I am owned by a five-year-old Goldendoodle named Perci; we enjoy spending time together outdoors. The beauty of the East Kootenays is not be taken for granted!"

Tara's nomination keeps the We Are IH loop going:

“Cathy Hanson has been a great resource for us! She is a regulated pharmacy tech based out of Greenwood, B.C. Over the past year, she has been doing remote order entry for EKRH, Elk Valley Hospital (EVH) and Creston Valley Hospital (CVH). Cathy has also worked for multiple other sites across IH. Her professionalism and work ethic are very strong. For example, when all internet access was dropped in Greenwood for several days due to wildfires, Cathy arranged to have a space at KGH and travelled on her own to complete her shift. I wasn’t aware of any of the challenges until she mentioned it later that day!" _{- Tara Lecavalier}