UPDATED: Air Quality Advisory ENDED for Grand Forks
The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, in collaboration with the Interior Health Authority, has ended the Air Quality Advisory issued on January 13 for Grand Forks due to the high concentrations of fine particulates. Changing weather conditions are expected to further improve air quality over the next few ...
Special Public Avalanche Warning Issued
Avalanche Canada and Parks Canada are issuing a Special Public Avalanche Warning for recreational backcountry users, in effect immediately until the end of day Monday, January 15. The warning applies to the following forecast regions: Lizard Range & Flathead, South Rockies, Purcells, Kootenay Boundary, South & North...
Protecting loved ones and staying healthy over the holidays
The festive season is a time of celebrating with loved ones. Unfortunately, holiday mingling brings together people AND germs. At this time of year it is not unusual for health facilities to experience outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness (GI) and respiratory infections. Both are highly contagious and common in the community...
Editorial Rant: Are we stupid, or what?
We have more fatal crashes than any other region. Are more drivers in the Southern Interior region of BC notably more stupid than drivers elsewhere in BC? Do so many of us here just not have a clue about winter driving? Or are we so much unhealthier that we have that many more medical crises causing car crashes? The statistics...
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 […]
