Meeting of January 22, 2026

Thompson Regional Hospital District (TRHD) Board Meetings are held in the 4th Floor Boardroom of the TNRD Civic Building in Kamloops, B.C. Meetings are open to the public to attend in person or online. Meetings are live-streamed, timestamped, and available to watch on the TNRD YouTube channel.

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Acclamation of Board Chair and Acting Chair

Mike O’Reilly, City of Kamloops Director, was acclaimed as TRHD Board Chair, and Merlin Blackwell, District of Clearwater Director, was acclaimed as TRHD Acting Chair. Following a call for nominations, Directors O’Reilly and Blackwell were the only nominees for these respective positions, and no elections were required.

Each year, at the inaugural TRHD Board Meeting (the first Hospital District Meeting in the calendar year), Province of BC legislation requires the Board to elect one Director to serve as Chair and one as Acting Chair for a one-year term.

Interior Health Capital Funding and Operations Update

The Board received an update from Gerry Desilets, IHA executive director of clinical operations for Royal Inland Hospital, Karen Cooper, IHA executive director of clinical operations for Rural Thompson and Cariboo Region, and Dan Goughnour, IHA executive director of finance. Presenters shared updates on operations and capital projects, and funding requests for the upcoming fiscal year.

Cooper stated that there was $241 million worth of capital investment across the health authority last year, with $7.3 million of investments within Thompson-Nicola regional healthcare facilities being funded by the TRHD. Cooper and Desilets provided updates on capital projects at several healthcare facilities including Lillooet Hospital, the Kamloops Cancer Centre, Royal Inland Hospital, and Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital. Desilets also provided updates on funding for equipment at healthcare facilities in Lillooet, Chase, and Kamloops, and IH-wide digital infrastructure improvements.

Cooper and Desilets provided details on construction projects that are planned for 2026 across healthcare facilities within the TRHD, totalling $18.4 in capital spending with $6.2 million requested in funding from the Hospital District. The TRHD will vote on capital spending as part of the 2026 Hospital District Budget that will be brought to the next Board Meeting on March 26, 2026.

Desilets explained that there are 27 healthcare facilities within TRHD boundaries serving a population of more than 164,000, with more than 5,800 IH staff.

Hospital District Board Procedure Bylaw Update

The Board adopted TRHD Board Procedure Bylaw 168. This Bylaw has been updated to ensure alignment with current legislation, best practices, and procedural standards, and many changes align with the TNRD’s Board Procedure Bylaw for consistency.

A summary of changes can be found in a table within the report on pages 2, 3, and 4. In addition to these changes listed, the Board approved a motion to amend section 25.5 of the Bylaw, to allow optional electronic participation for all meetings for non-TNRD Directors on the Hospital District Board (i.e., three Directors from Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, one Director from Columbia Shuswap Regional District).

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Delegation: Kamloops Brain Injury Association

The Board heard a presentation from Dave Johnson, Kamloops Brain Injury Association (KBIA) executive director, who shared information about brain injury services that the association provides in most areas within TRHD boundaries. The association serves communities between Clearwater and Merritt from north to south, and Chase to Ashcroft from east to west.

Johnson states that the KBIA supports independence for those who have suffered a brain injury from a car crash, stroke, or fall, adding that the association focuses on prevention and education in schools, and hosts community events as well.

Johnson encouraged the Board to let residents know that they can access KBIA services if they need support after a brain injury, and encouraged the Board to let schools know that they are available for classroom education sessions.