The Difference Is You
Bringing more specialized care to Kamloops is an important part of forward progress, but access is not measured by the services available inside our hospital.
It is shaped by whether patients from the many rural communities in our region can make the trip for care, afford a place to stay, have someone nearby to support them, and return home safely. As more specialized care comes to Kamloops, removing these barriers becomes increasingly important to making healthcare accessible for everyone who relies on Royal Inland Hospital.
At the RIH Foundation, we believe making healthcare more accessible means considering the whole patient experience, before, during, and after care.
That belief led to the creation of Mercier House.
With nine private bedrooms, a beautiful kitchen, shared gathering spaces, laundry facilities, and expansive views of Kamloops, Mercier House offers more than a bed for the night. It provides a welcoming place where patients can prepare a meal, spend time with their loved ones and rest between appointments, treatments, and long days at the hospital.
This summer, we had the opportunity to witness that impact firsthand.
On August 4, Rosa and Leroy Martin from Salmon Arm became Mercier House’s first guests.
At 87, Leroy was preparing to begin peritoneal dialysis at home following serious kidney complications and an extended period of hospitalization. Peritoneal dialysis is a form of treatment that allows people with kidney disease to receive dialysis at home using a catheter and a special cleansing fluid that helps remove waste and excess fluid from the blood through the stomach.
For Leroy, it offered a way to manage his treatment at home rather than having to travel for every dialysis treatment. But before he could begin, Leroy and Rosa needed to return to Kamloops for four days of intensive training at RIH’s Kidney Care Clinic.
That meant another trip to Kamloops.
Finding accommodation during the busy summer season would have added another financial and logistical consideration to an already demanding time. Travelling back and forth from Salmon Arm each day was not a realistic option, particularly as Leroy’s medical team had advised him not to drive after dialysis.
This is where everything changed. Their social worker connected them with the RIH Foundation, and before long, they were walking through the doors of Mercier House.
“When we arrived, we were speechless by how beautiful it was,” Rosa shared. “When you are already going through so much, having a place to stay alleviated so many stressors. This help came at the exact time we truly needed it.”
For four days, Mercier House became their home base, a place where they could rest at the end of each day, prepare a meal and focus on learning the skills they needed to continue Leroy’s care at home.
Rosa and Leroy were the first guests, but they certainly will not be the last.
Royal Inland Hospital serves approximately 250,000 people across the Thompson Cariboo Shuswap. As our region grows and specialized care continues to expand in Kamloops, more patients will travel from surrounding communities to access that care.
When you give to the RIH Foundation, you give us the ability to recognize opportunities, respond to emerging needs and invest in the things that can make healthcare better for patients across our region. Mercier House is one tangible example of what that support can make possible.
We cannot always predict what the next opportunity will be. But with your support, we can be ready for it.
Please make a gift today and help us continue saying YES to the opportunities that make healthcare more accessible, equitable, and compassionate for the people we serve.