Medical Health Officers

Medical health officers are responsible for the health and well-being of residents and communities in B.C.’s Southern Interior.

Interior Health's medical health officer team

Dr. Martin Lavoie is the chief medical health officer for Interior Health. The team also includes:

• Dr. Silvina Mema, deputy chief medical health officer
• Dr. Carol Fenton
• Dr. Jonathan Malo
• Dr. Andy Delli Pizzi
• Dr. Sue Pollock
• Dr. Fatemeh Sabet
• Dr. Stéphane Trépanier
• Dr. Sanaz Vaseghi

If you’re concerned about a suspected communicable disease or other public health issue, please contact your local health centre.

Responsibilities include:

• Disease and injury surveillance
• Communicable disease prevention and control
• Environmental public health
• Care facility licensing
• Community medicine consultation

Specialty areas include:

• Indigenous health
• Healthy communities
• Mental health
• Substance use
• Harm reduction
• Primary and community care transformation
• Health promotion
• Maternal child and youth health
• Pandemic planning and response
• Climate change

You can contact the Office of the Medical Health Officer at:

Community Health & Services Centre
505 Doyle Avenue
Kelowna, B.C. V1Y OC5
250-862-4350

For more information on the role of medical health officers, please visit the Office of the Provincial Health Officer website.

Medical health officer reports

A medical health officer (MHO) at Interior Health is required by the Public Health Act to report on the health and wellness of people living, learning and working in British Columbia’s Southern Interior.

These reports celebrate our progress and shine a light on important population health issues that can be addressed through the organized efforts of the health-care system and its community partners.

The Medical Health Officer (MHO) Report 2023 provides an overview of the health status of communities across the Interior Health (IH) region, as it relates to climate change. The report includes reflections on climate-related events and experiences of the previous few years and explores the climate hazards that are most likely to impact the region: extreme heat, cold, flooding, wildfire and smoke, and drought.

The report includes stories of innovation and resilience to climate change that are intended to inspire action and creative solutions at the community level. When efforts to reduce climate risks are coordinated across sectors, there are many social, economic, and cultural co-benefits that support individual and community health, as well as benefiting the health system and the environment.

Part 1 (MHO Report 2021) describes the population health impacts of the toxic drug supply, introduces many of the issues at play, and reports on the results of a chart review of people who died before the pandemic began. We highlight the many interventions advanced within the health-care system, highlighting some of the successes and challenges. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the individuals, families, friends and communities impacted by these preventable deaths.

Part 2 (MHO Report 2022) updates on the recent impact of the toxic drug crisis, explores what we understand about the reasons people may use toxic drugs, and lays out a framework to understand all of the work needed in the response to this crisis. This report also explores some of the data related to the toxic drug crisis. These aren’t just statistics and numbers, however; these are people we know and love. They are people in our families, people we work with, our neighbours and our friends. We receive reports every month on the number of people who have lost their lives needlessly. This is extremely hard for families, communities and frontline workers as they face this challenge.

Alcohol and Health in B.C.'s Interior Region
​Published: July 2021
​
Alcohol is arguably the most socially acceptable of psychoactive substances. In this report, we de​scribe a public health approach that recognizes the social and economic benefits attributable to alcohol while preventing and mitigating the health and social harms. We reflect the perspectives of partners, and recommend collaborative action to improve care, reduce harm and address underlying health determinants.

In this report, we use IH’s key strategic priorities as a framework for a broader conversation about what health and wellness means, and what collaborative action can be taken at a systems level to promote health, prevent disease and improve health equity. This report, and its recommendations, are for all partners within IH and across the Interior region who can contribute their knowledge, skills and resources to this collective effort.

The social, emotional, intellectual and physical development that occurs during childhood lays the foundation for a lifetime of health and accomplishments. In this report, we present a selection of child health indicators that identify the strengths and vulnerabilities of children across the Southern Interior of B.C. The report includes recommendations for addressing gaps in health outcomes seen across geographic areas and within vulnerable population groups.​

​This report reviews the state of the drinking water systems in our region. It was made to support water system owners and operators. We hope water suppliers will use it to inform all users about the essential service they provide. We also hope it will encourage discussion with users and leaders on the value of clean, safe tap water and their community water system. Let’s work together to ensure that everyone has clean, safe drinking water.

Motor Vehicle Crashes account for a large number of deaths and hospitalizations in the Interior Health region. This report provides a detailed breakdown of road-related deaths and hospitalizations between 2001 and 2010. We also estimate future impacts if no action is taken, and consider appropriate prevention strategies and multi-sectoral collaboration.

Stories@IH

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