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Interior Health

Crane at Royal Inland Hospital construction site set to come down

KAMLOOPS - Construction on the Royal Inland Hospital’s clinical services building and parkade continues move along, with a summer 2016 opening date being planned. “With exterior work nearly complete, the building is transforming into a modern healthcare facility and parking structure,” Tracy Watson of Interior Health says. When the pedestrian bridge was placed Sept. 25,...

New Interior Health CEO praises South Okanagan-Similkameen health care

PENTICTON - Provincial capital funding for health has been outstanding in the past decade, according to the new Chief Executive Officer of Interior Health. Chris Mazurkewich and other Interior Health officials met with members of the press this week to discuss local health issues as he toured the South Okanagan-Similkameen. “I think the track record...

Penticton hospital care facility temporarily locked down after verbal threat

PENTICTON - A fired employee threatened a manager last week, putting a long term care facility at Penticton Regional Hospital in lockdown. On Tuesday, Oct. 27, an employee of the facility who was fired threatened a manager while leaving, stating the manager 'wouldn’t make it out of the building alive,' Penticton RCMP media spokesperson Cpl....

Pilot project could put baskets of free condoms in Okanagan schools

VERNON - Baskets of condoms could soon be coming to local high schools as way of putting protection in the hands of those who need it — no questions asked. About 14 schools in B.C.’s Interior have free condoms available, but students have to ask for them, Vernon School District health coordinator Christine Balfour says....

New residential care home moves ahead in Vernon

VERNON - A total of 85 new residential care beds are in the works for Vernon and with the recent awarding of the contract they are getting closer to reality. Interior Health announced the project and then issued a request for proposals back in February. A total of 10 submissions were received and H &...

New president and CEO announced for Interior Health

KELOWNA - A new president and chief executive officer has been named for the Interior Health Authority. It was announced at a board meeting today, Oct. 6, that Chris Mazurkewich will take over as president and CEO on Oct. 26. He is replacing Dr. Robert Halpenny, who announced his resignation earlier this year. Halpenny’s last...

Two family doctors leaving Kamloops

KAMLOOPS - The city is about to lose two more doctors after a husband and wife team announced they’ll be leaving their North Shore practice. Last week the Aspen Medical Centre notified its patients that family doctor Arshad Mahmood and his wife Dr. Ambreen Bushra would be relocating, leaving solely Dr. Howie at the practice....

Interior Health may review case after senior receiving home care burned to death

KAMLOOPS - Interior Health may conduct a review of a Kamloops senior's file to determine if there should be improvements to senior care after the woman died from injuries relating to a fire in her home. Matilda ‘Tillie’ Olineck, 72, was smoking a cigarette before she caught fire in her chair at the Glenfair senior's...

Ashcroft and Logan Lake could have doctors within six months

THOMPSON-NICOLA - With the loss of community doctors in both Logan Lake and Ashcroft residents have had limited health care options for a significant period of time, but that could change by February as the province continues with a program to bring international doctors to rural communities. Dr. Nancy Humber, the community medical director for...

Westsyde water park set to open for holiday weekend

KAMLOOPS – If all goes to plan, kids in Westsyde could be splashing around in their very own water park within the next two and a half weeks. “I’m sure kids are waiting with baited breath!” Diane Kuchma says, past president of the Westsyde Community Development Society. Currently under construction in Centennial Park, Parks Supervisor...

Smoky skies advisory ends for Southern Interior

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A system that broke a nearly three-week heat wave and dropped rain in the Interior also helped clear the smoke. The smoky skies advisory that had been in place since June 7 was lifted this morning, July 13, by the Ministry of Environment and the Interior Healthy Authority. While many large fires are...

Summerland power outage to last until at least 2 p.m.

SUMMERLAND - A power outage has been affecting the majority of Summerland residents since earlier this morning and Fortis B.C. says it will be at least 2 p.m. before power is restored. Fortis B.C. says crews are busy on site and were inspecting a problem with a transformer on the feed to the city. Interior...

Smoky skies advisory issued for entire Thompson-Okanagan region

THOMPSON OKANAGAN – If the visible smoke in the sky wasn't enough to warn you, a smoky skies advisory has now been issued for a large portion of the Southern Interior. The Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with the Interior Health Authority, has issued a smoky skies advisory for the Thompson, Shuswap, Nicola, Fraser Canyon,...

Biosolids protest comes to Kamloops

KAMLOOPS – Protestors shut down Victoria Street in downtown Kamloops today as they rallied against a biosolids operation near Merritt. Members of Friends of the Nicola Valley picked the location for the protest, June 19, because Health Minister Terry Lake and MLA Jackie Tegart were meeting at the Thompson-Nicola Regional District office nearby. The protestors are...

Edible gardens on display this weekend in Kamloops

KAMLOOPS – Grow what you eat, eat what you grow, and still have a beautiful garden. If you've ever wondered about edible gardening this weekend is your chance to find out more and tour local gardens centred around edible plants. The Gleaning Abundance Project will host an Edible Garden Tour on Saturday June 20. The...

Norovirus complaints traced back to Kamloops restaurant

KAMLOOPS - Fourteen people fell sick with norovirus after eating at a North Shore restaurant earlier this month, but Interior Health Authority says restaurant staff followed corrective measures suggested by investigators to prevent a re-occurence. After eating at Minos Greek Restaurant the weekend of May 1 and 2, three groups of diners came forward to...

Ashcroft doctor shortage impacting other communities

ASHCROFT - A doctor shortage in Ashcroft is diminishing emergency room hours, leaving patients no choice but to either call 9-1-1 or travel over an hour to Kamloops or Merritt in the event of an emergency. Administrators at Interior Health Authority cut hours this week after one of the two doctors in town quit last...

Union takes fight for hospital laundry services to the street

KELOWNA - Hospital Employees Union members took to the streets outside Kelowna General Hospital today to push for the Interior Health Authority to reconsider a plan to privatize laundry services. “These are workers that perform a very important health care service, they ensure that operating rooms are stocked with clean linens. Here at KGH 17,000...

New Gold looks to expand; asks to increase air discharge rate

KAMLOOPS – The New Afton Mine just west of Kamloops wants its air quality restrictions to reflect it is now operational, and allow for growth. The mine has moved from construction to operational phase, and now wants to be allowed to increase the maximum air discharge rate from the underground workings of the mine. The...

Vernon Jubilee Hospital unveils new mammography machine

VERNON - North Okanagan residents are benefiting from recent enhancements to Vernon Jubilee Hospital’s imaging department, including a new digital mammography machine.   Local individuals and organizations donated to the Vernon Jubilee Hospital Foundation’s Take a Picture campaign, which raised more than $500,000 towards the purchase of the new mammography machine, the foundation said in...

Valoroso Foods faces second verification inspection later this week

KELOWNA - Valoroso Foods was open for business today even as officials from the health protection branch of the Interior Health Authority say they will be conducting a second inspection to ensure the company has taken action on violations it found during an inspection last Friday. “We will be going back at the end of...