Influenza outbreaks are plaguing longterm care facilities in the Interior Health region, including ones in Castlegar and Trail, according to Pamela De Bruin, IH manager for Communicable Diseases and Immunization Programs....

The longer we delay addressing environmental problems, the more difficult it will be to resolve them. Although we’ve known about climate change and its potential impacts for a long time, and we’re seeing those impacts worsen daily, our political representatives are still approving and promoting fossil fuel infrastructure as...

The best way to improve health care delivery in Nelson is not by enhancing its health care facilities, but by keeping potential patients in their homes, says the interim health service administrator for the Interior Health Authority. Jane Cusden told city council on Monday that the IHA directive for the mostly rural service...

'Tis the season to be jolly, fal-la-la-la-lah and so on -- but it's hard to feel jolly while afflicted with a stuffed or runny nose, headache, coughs and sneezes.  Colds are  not usually  a reason to lurch off  to your doctor; the doctor will just tell you to rest, take lots of hot fluids, and avoid spreading your germs...

The New Year is fast approaching, and the Alzheimer Society of BC wants Kootenay/Boundary residents to be aware of services that will be available in 2017. “We will be offering several workshops for families living with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia in the New Year,” said local support and education coordinator Julie Leffelaar. Highlights of programming […]

One of the biggest challenges I find during the Christmas holidays for those who don’t tolerate gluten is desserts and treats. At this time of year they are everywhere and it is ever so tempting to give in and have a few. The easiest solution I’ve found is to make some holiday treats ahead of time, freeze them and pull them...

The month of November brought the highest number of illicit drug deaths in B.C. for a single month in recent memory, according to the latest statistics from the BC Coroners Service. Provisional data shows that a total of 128 persons died as a result of illicit drug use during November, an average of more than four a day. The...

How much stuff will you give and receive this holiday season? Add it to the growing pile — the 30-trillion-tonne pile. That’s how much technology and goods humans have produced, according to a study by an international team led by England’s University of Leicester. It adds up to more than all living matter on the planet,...

Guillain-Barré  ("Ghee-yan Bah-ray") Syndrome  can cause muscle weakness and temporary paralysis, and can be life-threatening.  In susceptible individuals, it can be triggered by bacteria in undercooked chicken, or in other contaminated food or even water.  The suspected link between Campylobacter jejuni, a bacterium commonly...

This is a busy time of year, but I find it’s also a time of reflection, particularly as January marks the end of my two-year term as Chair and my 10 years serving on the Board of Interior Health.   In an effort to decrease demand on hospital and residential services, we continue to shift our focus to integrated primary and ...