Merritt may soon have a hospital again, in name as well as function.
All six city councillors supported Mayor Susan Roline’s recommendation that the Nicola Valley Health Centre’s name be changed to Nicola Valley Hospital and Health Centre at a regular council meeting on Jan. 10.
“The name has an impact,” said Roline. “People assume we have no hospital if the word is not in the name.”
Roline requested a letter in support of the change from council, which she will send along with a report to Interior Health Authority and the Minister of Health Michael DeJong. The Thompson Regional Hospital District also supported the name change at a board meeting, held Dec. 22, and issued a letter of support.
Originally called the Nicola Valley General Hospital, the local health facility’s name was changed to the Nicola Valley Health Centre because of the consolidation of other health related programs into the building. Unfortunately, no one considered the repercussions of this name change at the time, said Roline.
According to the mayor, one of these repercussions is that employers are unable to attract new workers with young families to relocate in the community because there is no hospital.
“It would be impossible to speak to and educate every person that is a potential new resident about the functions our hospital does,” said Roline. “We still have a fully functioning hospital – it has x-ray, lab, emergency, beds, morgue and surgery along with physio and regular specialists.”
During a public input period, former councillor Shelley Sanders also spoke in favour of the name change.
“I was thrilled that Mayor Roline considered this an issue and brought it to the regional district,” said Sanders, a medical lab technologist. “People want to move to Merritt, but are concerned that there is no hospital.”
Lending her support, Sanders said that Merritt has the ear of the provincial government as well as IHA. During a visit in early November, from parliamentary secretary to the premier, John Les, Sanders and other community representatives voiced their concerns about the misleading name as well as other health-related issues.
Current councillors also expressed support for the change.
“I would like to say thank you to the mayor because it is important to our economic development,” said Councillor Clara Norgaard. “This will help to change the perception that we don’t have a hospital.”
Councillor Dave Baker said he would like to see the change happen, but questioned who would pick up the cost of the change on signage and other materials.
Roline said that IHA would likely cover the cost of the change.
Currently, Merritt’s facility is one of the few in the region without the word hospital in its name. Out of 33 health facilities in the IHA area, 21 are called hospitals.
