MLA Jackie Tegart, with colleague Terry Lake, Minister of Health, recently toured the Ashcroft hospital, as well as the hospitals in Logan Lake and Merritt.
Tegart said the visit was initiated at the annual Union of BC Municipalities conventual where councillors and mayors from those three communities met with the Minister to discuss concerns about their health facilities.
Lake decided to return the visits, inviting Tegart and local politicians to join him.
While “in Ashcroft, we were talking about getting Interior Health to fund a nurse practitioner,” said Tegart, who added that she will be speaking to Dr. Robert Halpenny, IH president and CEO, next week about “how we can do that.”
Tegart said they also talked about a pilot project that would have paramedics assisting in Emergency Rooms.
She said Minister Lake was impressed with the Ashcroft facility, especially with the Extended Care, which was added on after the original hospital was built.
“The challenges around delivering health care are great,” she said. “Everything is changing. The whole health system is dealing with a different clientele. Technology has improved. It’s great to have Terry here and spending the day in the riding.”
Tegart said the Minister is aware of the new Ashcroft Wellness and Health Action Coalition and is pleased to see a positive focus on solutions to local health care.