Give the Gift that Keeps On Giving — register as an organ donor
The B.C. government is urging all British Columbians to get in the holiday spirit and consider giving the greatest gift of all – the gift of life – by registering as an organ donor. Since Service BC and BC Transplant launched their unique awareness partnership in April 2015, 30,485 new donors have registered through Service...
Funding freeze on for new facilities as IHA moves primary care into households: Cusden
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...
Illicit drug death numbers hit new record
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...
BC statement regarding new Canadian drugs and substances strategy
Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Morris and Minister of Health Terry Lake, along with the co-chairs of the Joint Task Force on Overdose Response, Dr. Perry Kendall and Clayton Pecknold, issued the following joint statement today in response to the federal announcement regarding a new Canadian drugs and...
Interior Health year in review: Message from Board Chair Erwin Malzer
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 ...
Daily reminders to increase calcium intake are effective
UBC researchers have demonstrated that simple, cost-effective email messages can help improve the health habits of Canadians. Mary Jung, an assistant professor of health and exercise sciences at UBC's Okanagan campus, recently completed a nationwide study with more than 730 Canadians who were not meeting Canada’s recommended...
Last week brings BC highest number of 911 overdose calls ever recorded
B.C. paramedics and dispatchers will be getting much-needed support from the provincial government in the face of the province's opioid overdose crisis, with a $5-million injection of funding for BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS), Health Minister Terry Lake announced Friday. Over the last week, B.C. had the highest number...
Take a One Night Stand Against Cancer
The Southern Interior Rotary Lodge is a lifeline for residents who are fighting cancer. Fruitvale resident Vickie Iachetta certainly feels that way after spending the month of August at the lodge while undergoing radiation therapy in Kelowna. From Sept. 1, 2015, to Sept. 30, 2016, residents from the Southern Interior region...
IH warns public when considering cosmetic tattoos
Given the emergence of relatively new cosmetic procedures such as eyebrow microblading, Interior Health is reminding the public to exercise caution when considering such services. Specifically, users should ensure the establishments they visit have safeguards in place to protect their health. Microblading, also known as...
Can Medical Marijuana Aid Recovery From Alcoholism and Drug Addiction?
A new study from UBC suggests that marijuana, long feared by some as a "gateway" to drug abuse generally, may be able to act as a gateway in the other direction: it could have a medical use in helping people recover from alcoholism and opioid addiction. But more research is needed. “Research suggests that people may be...
