Mayors join call for cardiac services

By Don Plant Friday, December 15, 2006 http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/article_3963.php
Three Okanagan mayors have added their clout in support of expanded cardiac care in the Valley.Mayors Sharon Shepherd of Kelowna, Jake Kimberley of Penticton and Wayne Lippert of Vernon have sent a joint letter to the provincial government endorsing a recommendation that cardiac services be expanded, with Kelowna General Hospital as the Interior’s hub.“Cardiac care . . . has been identified as a priority for the Valley for a number of years. I’m extremely optimistic that an announcement will be made that will bring this facility to KGH,” Shepherd said. A steering committee representing five B.C. health regions sent its report to Health Minister George Abbott last month. In a unanimous decision, representatives agreed heart surgery, angioplasty and other cardiac procedures should be available in the Interior.Every year, an estimated 1,000 patients from the Okanagan must travel to the Lower Mainland or Victoria for heart surgery. Allowing Interior patients to get their surgery here would take a load off St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, which is “overcrowded and overrun,” said Kimberley.“If it’s located in the Okanagan, it’s much easier for families to visit.”Population growth is another factor, said Lippert. A quarter of the Okanagan’s population is age 65 and older – the prime demographic for cardiac care, he said.“It’s going to save us money in the long run (instead of) having to run people down to Vancouver,” he said. “This is a retirement area. Our citizens will be demanding this. I think it makes good sense in the long run.”