EaglE VallEy
NEWS
Students stand united during Pink Shirt Day Page 6
High School in running for $20,000 prize Page 7
Wednesday, March 6, 2013 PM40008236
Vol. 54 No. 10 Sicamous, B.C., • 1.25 (HST included) • www.eaglevalleynews.com
Clean break: Corbin Marcotte delivers Sicamous’ first goal in game five of the division semifinals versus the Revelstoke Grizzlies. The contest ended in a 5-2 win for Sicamous, who is now fighting it out in the division finals with the North Okanagan Knights. See more on page 9. Photo by Lachlan Labere
Interior Health bringing lab service to Sicamous area Long time coming: Announcement marks end of clinic’s lengthy struggle to attract service. By Lachlan Labere Eagle Valley News
A lab collection service is coming to Sicamous. Interior Health announced Monday that the service will commence on Monday, March 11, and will run Mondays from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Sicamous Health Centre. “Expanding lab service to Sicamous had been under consideration for some time,” said Norman Embree, Interior Health board chair in an Interior Health news release. Embree says that it’s with the support of the Shuswap Hospital Foundation, which is donating $10,000 for the necessary equipment, that this expansion of the health authority’s services is able to happen. “The Shuswap Hospital Foundation is
proud to be part of this collection services to major improvement to Sicamous for some time access of laboratory and we’re happy to see services for the resiprogress is being made,” dents of the Sicamous We’ve been working on bringing said Dr. Jack Beech. area,” said foundation In Jan. 2011, a prilab collection services to president Joe Johnson. vate lab collection comSicamous for some time and “The foundation is alpany Life Labs applied we’re happy to see progress is ways pleased when it for a licence to provide being made. can support the needs lab collection services of patients across the in the Eagle Valley area, Dr. Jack Beech whole Shuswap rebut the licence was gion. It is only through won by Interior Health. the generosity of our donors that we are able On April 30, 2012, the clinic received a letto assist with projects like this.” ter from IH director of laboratory services Interior Health says doctors at the medical Marty Woods, notifying Beech and staff of clinic have been collecting lab specimens for the health authority’s “inability to meet their residents who have been unable to travel to licensing commitment of a two day a week Salmon Arm. lab collection service and ECG availability in “We’ve been working on bringing lab Sicamous.”
Woods explained at that time that a lab service in Sicamous would be hinged on operations in Salmon Arm. He said staff shortages were resulting in long lineups at the Salmon Arm blood lab, and that the Sicamous licence was applied for when operations were running more smoothly. “Now it’s a case of waiting to see what happens,” said Woods. “We still maintain we have to do it with the same dollars and the same staff. That would be our challenge – to find a way to do that.” Beech says the new service is great for Sicamous and Area E patients, who are no longer required to drive to Salmon Arm for lab work. A community open house is planned for Monday, March 25 from 1 to 2 p.m. The open house will provide residents with an opportunity to learn about the new lab service.