Cariboo Chilcotin Hospital District approves $3.1 million in Interior Health upgrades

Published 1:20 pm Saturday, February 28, 2026

The Cariboo Chilcotin Regional Hospital District (CCRHD) has approved more than $3.1 million in expenditures for the year following a recent delegation by Interior Health (IH).

Directors provided the first three readings and adoption of the expenditure bylaws on Friday, Feb. 27 after meeting with IH executive director of clinical operations Karen Cooper and corporate director of business operations Matt Wilkie. The previous day, they also received a tour of the Cariboo Memorial Hospital redevelopment.

The $3,120,420 in funding will be now included in the CCRHD’s 2026 financial plan.

It covers several expenditures including the renovation of the laundry rooms at the 100 Mile District General Hospital and the Cariboo Memorial Hospital (CMH). Also included is the replacement of the generator and domestic water tanks at the 100 Mile District General Hospital.

Additionally in Williams Lake is the second phase of the consolidation of community health services and improvement to CMH’s meal delivery system.

Funds will also support IH-wide digital health initiatives and improvements.

“The capital contributions of our regional hospital districts are significant,” Cooper said, noting last year IH spent over $241 million on capital investments across the authority, with $90-million provided by regional hospital districts.

Last year, the CCRHD provided $2.7 million.

In the Williams Lake and 100 Mile area, Cooper provided an overview of a few key projects she is especially proud of.

The Williams Lake Urgent and Primary Care Centre (UPCC) which has served nearly 6,000 patients celebrated its one-year anniversary on Wednesday, Feb. 25.

One of the questions Cooper said she often gets asked is if the UPCC makes a difference on the emergency department at CMH.

“We’ve been able to demonstrate though the data that some of the lower acuity urgent care needs that previously would have been met in the emergency department are definitely going down,” she said.

A highlight from last year was the smudging and blessing of approximately 48,000 square feet of space over three floors of Phase 1 of the CMH redevelopment project.

The new tower which will include the re-imagined Arvil’s Room, a small playroom created in memory of eight-year-old Avril Chevigny who died in May 1996 after a courageous battle with lymphoma/leukemia, is on track for completion in September 2026. Cooper anticipates it will open in early 2027.

Last year in 100 Mile House, upgrades that are anticipated for completion this spring got underway to the fire alarm system at the 100 Mile District General Hospital. The system was installed in 1998 and at risk of failure.

There was also significant upgrades to the hospital’s pharmacy department, particularly in the area where chemo medications are mixed and IV transfusions.

In terms of recruitment, Cooper said there there is nearly 1,200 staff within the CCRHD supporting two hospitals, three long-term care facilities and eight community health care facilities.

“I can tell you speaking to the team this week all of our areas of recruitment are moving in a positive direction,” Cooper said. “Just two years ago we had over 70 percent vacancy in our emergency nursing lines at Cariboo Memorial Hospital that is down to 40 and it will be further reduced to 30 by May.”

This year IH intends intends to invest approximately $4.1 million in Williams Lake and $2.5 million in 100 Mile House to protect and modernize core clinical systems, upgrade infrastructure, maintain safe functional care spaces and support digital health.

IH’s overall investment for 2026/2027 totals about $7.7 million with the CCRHD contributing 40 percent of funding totalling more than $3.1 million.

Phase 2 consolidation of community health services in Williams Lake will see the movement of community setting services, including home health, currently at CMH to the redeveloped lower level of 47 Cameron Street which already houses the UPCC in the upper level.

At CMH where there will be additional new beds the existing meal delivery system will be upgraded.

“The new system will have increased capacity as well as improved patient choice to try and meet their nutritional needs,” Cooper said, with Wilkie noting they have currently received positive feedback on such improvements in Trail at the Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital.

Laundry rooms at the 100 Mile District General Hospital and CMH will also be renovated with enhanced air flows and sufficient space for linen storage.

The backup generator, which has reached the end of its life at 100 Mile District General Hospital and has been in service since 2005 will also be replaced.

“This really needs replacing in 100 Mile and will be essential to us to be able to maintain operations in the event of power outages,” Cooper said.

IH is working on upgrading and enhancing its digital health infrastructure throughout the authority. Cooper said once the new tower at CMH is operational it will be the third hospital in IH to go fully electronic.

Two failing hot water tanks at the 100 Mile District General Hospital will also be replaced to ensure reliable hot water supply for patient care and infection prevention.

Cooper said within IH’s five-year plan it is their intent to have an MRI at the Cariboo Memorial Hospital after being asked by Cariboo Regional District (CRD) Area D director Steve Forseth.

“The reason we haven’t moved forward with a permanent announcement is because it’s contingent on the MRI project currently underway at the Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital and the timelines that are around that, but I can reassure folks they are being looked at in that five year plan as having MRI capability.”

Area F director Maureen LeBourdais said she was glad to to hear the UPCC in Williams Lake is having measurable differences, and encourages constituents to utilize its services that she herself used to before securing a family doctor.

Forseth, municipal director Maureen Pinkney and Area G director Al Richmond said they believe the upgrades to the Cariboo Memorial Hospital (CMH) will assist in attracting and retaining physicians and staff.

Cooper recalled last week an agency nurse from New Brunswick who had decided to move his wife and young children to the area based on the recent experience he had while working at CMH.

“I only believe those stories will continue when we open those doors to a brand new facility,” she said. “I’m confident we’ll be able to recruit the staff we need and to be ready to go.”