Interior Health BC initiated a “Code Orange” response to a touring bus accident on the Coquihalla Highway, Thursday afternoon. The code is reserved for disasters or incidents with mass casualties. The touring bus flipped on the highway about 30 km south of Merritt after hitting a median. Forty-three people were sent to the hospital. According […]

Interior Health is pleased to announce the appointment of Patricia (Pat) Dooley to its Board of Directors effective Aug. 31, 2014. “We are very fortunate to be joined by a Director with the heart, drive and focus of Pat Dooley,” said Board Chair Norman Embree.  “She is incredibly dedicated to her community and passionate about...

“There are risks and costs to a program of action. But they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction.” – John F. Kennedy A vast majority of you love the carbon tax; your federal and provincial governments don’t.  And ideas abound about its use and abuse. Metro Vancouver mayors have proposed a...

Forest fire smoke in the area has caused the Ministry of Environment to issue a smoky skies advisory for Thompson, Shuswap, Okanagan, Similkameen, Nicola, Boundary and Fraser Canyon regions. According to the Ministry, smoke concentrations can vary depending on the winds, fire behaviour and temperature fluctuations. They...

The following is a press release issued by Interior Health: Due to temporary limited staffing availability, the Castlegar and District Health Centre lab will close an hour early next week. Out-patient (drop-in) lab services will be available from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Aug. 11 to 14. Alternate out-patient laboratory services...

One of the areas I find responds very well to herbs and homeopathics is the mental and emotional sphere. Because naturopathic medicine is based on the individual as an integral whole, by helping re-balance the mental/emotional aspects of a person, a dramatic difference in the person’s overall physical health is also achieved....

The brand "Sweet 2 Eat" fresh, whole fruit is being recalled in Canada due to a concern of Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The fruit varieties include peaches, plums, nectarins and pluats and are being pulled off of supermarket shelves.  Consumers should look for the brands Wawona, Sweet 2 Eat or Harvest Sweet. Each...

Despite a large number of inquiries the Southeast Fire Centre will not be issuing a campfire prohibition at this time. However, staff will continue to evaluate the situation on a daily basis. Jordan Turner, Fire Information Officer, said sometimes it is necessary to implement campfire prohibitions to reduce the risk of...

Dr. Robert Halpenny, CEO of Interior Health, made a house call Tuesday for a routine check-up at Kootenay Lake Hospital in Nelson. “It’s really important that we understand community issues, “ said Halpenny, president and CEO of IH in Kelowna since 2010 . He was on an annual tour of Interior Health facilities in the region....

Canada has an aging population and, as a result, will face many challenges. While we have been engaged with some of the items affected at the federal level, there is a vacuum for government initiatives related to end of life care, which is known as palliative care. To be clear, a person doesn’t have to be elderly to benefit...