Norm Macdonald MLA                                              Columbia River – Revelstoke

MEDIA RELEASE

For immediate release

November 19, 2009

Columbia Valley health issues brought forward to Interior Health

VICTORIA – Columbia River – Revelstoke MLA Norm Macdonald sat down with local representatives of Interior Health in Cranbrook to discuss health issues raised in the Columbia Valley.  Macdonald met with Interior Health board member David Goldsmith and East Kootenay/Kootenay Boundary Chief Operating Officer Allan Sinclair.

This visit was a follow-up to an earlier visit with Murray Ramsden, Chief Executive Officer of Interior Health in Victoria in October.

“I took this opportunity to speak again to the loss of speech therapy services to people like Norm Gagatek,” said Macdonald.  “But it isn’t just Norm who needs this assistance.  There are many adults in Invermere who rely on a speech therapist, and I made it clear that this is an issue that I am not going to give up on.”

Macdonald also reminded Interior Health of the need for increased residential care beds in Invermere.

“I was assured that the next capital project on Interior Health’s priority list will be an addition to allow for more extended care beds in Invermere.”

This project will follow the Invermere emergency room upgrade that is currently underway.

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