IH expands meningococcal disease immunization clinics in the Okanagan
Thursday, Interior Health announced they are offering immunization clinics throughout the Okanagan for individuals in grades 9-12 and persons aged 15-19 years old who do not attend school. During the past six months, Interior Health has seen an increasing number of cases of meningococcal disease in this age group, and as a result is declaring […]
Editorial Rant: What are we celebrating? And how do we behave?
A plea for civility in the law, politics and our everyday lives Mid-winter is approaching, with our various seasonal celebrations: Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, and maybe even Festivus? We celebrate our religious and / or ethnic affiliations; we celebrate the return of the sun for longer periods of time each...
Review of joint replacement services underway for Trail hospital
Interior Health (IH) is undertaking a review of hip and knee total joint replacement surgical processes for patients at Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital (KBRH) in light of slight increase in the number of surgical site infections in elective (scheduled) total joint replacement surgeries. The KBRH surgeons who provide joint...
Afraid of that new parking lot?
There are some new signs beside the road leading to the new parking lot up at Strawberry Pass, alerting drivers not to block it. The signs are not professional -- they were made by volunteers, out of donated scrap material, hand-lettered with a felt pen, and stuck into the snowbanks on Saturday morning, November 18th....
Addressing the fentanyl crisis
Experts agree the fentanyl crisis in British Columbia is an unprecedented multi-faceted societal catastrophe that’s not going away anytime soon. Those on the frontlines are also united in recognizing that solutions will only be possible through education and conversation. As health care professionals, emergency responders, ...
Drug overdose deaths in BC skyrocket
In a report release Thursday, the BC Coroners Service said suspected drug overdose deaths increased by almost 80 percent from 2016. “There were 113 suspected drug overdose deaths in August 2017,” the report detailed. “This is a 79% increase over the number of death occurring in August 2016 (63).” The report summarizes all unintentional illicit […]
Telehealth project improves rural access to mental health and substance use services
To ensure individuals have access to the mental health and substance use (MHSU) services they need, no matter where they live, Interior Health is expanding access to a rural telehealth pilot project. “Unless you’ve struggled with a mental illness, it is nearly impossible to understand the barriers and stigma that people face...
A rare encounter near Rossland
A local man, Daniel Papanek, found something totally unexpected during a hike along the Malde Creek Forest Service Road on Sunday, September 17. It was lying in a coil, the tip of its tail barely visible and adorned with things that rattle when shaken. Just to make sure of its identity, the man took a long branch and just...
Fentanyl detected in 81% of illicit drug deaths in B.C. in 2017
Fentanyl has been detected in more than four of every five illicit-drug overdose deaths in British Columbia through the first seven months of 2017, according to the latest statistics from the BC Coroners Service. From January through July 2017, 706 of the 876 suspected illicit drug deaths had fentanyl detected, representing...
Labour Day Message —We have a lot to celebrate
For the first time in 16 years, B.C. workers have much to celebrate on Labour Day. Both the B.C. NDP and the B.C. Green Party campaigned for a government that would make life more affordable, fix the services people count on, create jobs, act on climate change, and build a sustainable economy that works for everyone. Now,...
