Before her untimely passing from a severe cancer in 2023, five-year-old Rylie Nicholls spent considerable time in the pediatric ward at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH).
“We had around 10 different visits to Kelowna General Hospital,” Nicholls shared.
Rylie’s mother, also a parent to an eight-year-old son, is devastated about the closure of the pediatric ward due to a lack of doctors.
“Having been through this experience, I understand the reality. It truly makes me sad and worried for families who will require it now,” Nicholls expressed.
This sentiment has been echoed throughout the area following the pediatric unit’s closure on May 26, which is expected to last for a minimum of six weeks.
Doctors have voiced their concerns as well, stating that their pleas to Interior Health (IH) for a better care model have been ignored for years.
“For many years, we’ve been highlighting the systemic issues at KGH and how these have affected staff and patient safety,” said Dr. Alysha MacKenzie-Feder, a pediatrician from Kelowna.
“We wanted to ensure it was recognized that this crisis was entirely foreseeable.”
Several pediatricians, including MacKenzie-Feder, have quit their hospital positions in the last two years, citing challenging working conditions.
A letter signed by 13 pediatricians states that only four pediatricians and one specialist for newborns are currently working at the hospital, whereas the required number is at least 12.
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“Interior Health is currently in a state of uncertainty,” stated Conservative MLA for Kelowna-Mission, Gavin Dew, to Global News on Wednesday.
Dew is worried that with IH CEO Susan Brown scheduled to retire in December, a swift resolution to the ongoing crisis might not happen.
“We have a CEO nearing retirement in six months while a crisis unfolds, which leaves us feeling as though we have ineffective leadership,” Dew commented.
Dew and two other local Conservative MLAs are scheduled to meet with Brown on Thursday to talk about the crisis, noting that the community shouldn’t have to wait months for a replacement CEO to address the problem, and suggested that the leadership transition should be expedited.
“I want to understand if the Health Minister trusts the leadership of Interior Health, because if the minister lacks confidence, let’s act. Let’s move ahead and start fresh,” Dew remarked.
Health Minister Josie Osborne was not available for remarks on Thursday.
Dr. Robert Halpenny, chair of IH’s board of directors, mentioned in a statement to Global News, “I fully support our CEO, Susan Brown, and her strategy, alongside the Ministry of Health, to implement solutions for the staffing issues in Kelowna General Hospital’s pediatric unit.”
The statement continued, “As a former clinician and CEO of Interior Health, I can affirm that both Susan’s commitment to her team and her dedication to our community and patients is highly valued by the board.”
with what we believe should be implemented.”
Halpenny noted, “While a major factor for these shortages is the worldwide shortage of doctors, altered practices among physicians and an increase in population, we recognize that she is actively working to establish systems and services.”
The statement does not reference any reformed care model that doctors are advocating for.
The pediatrician group claims that IH is deceiving the public by attributing the hospital crisis to a global shortage of physicians.
According to the doctors, it is IH’s mismanagement that has led to the present crisis.
© 2025 Global News, a segment of Corus Entertainment Inc.
