New supportive cancer care centre opens in Kamloops as demand rises, funding questions remain

Cancer care hub now open

Photo: Josh Dawson

A crowd gathered the afternoon of Wednesday, Jan. 14, for the official opening of InspireHealth’s new cancer care centre at 243 Seymour Street.

A new supportive cancer care centre has opened in downtown Kamloops as diagnoses continue to rise and demand for patient support grows.

Loveena Chera, CEO of the non-profit InspireHealth, said the centre has been taking appointments since December and has already seen dozens of patients prior to a ribbon-cutting event on Jan. 14 to mark its official opening.

The cancer care centre provides cancer patients and their loved ones with free programs and services aimed at supporting their physical and mental health. A referral from a physician is not required.

“We are ready to support cancer patients and their loved ones with one-on-one and group support, including exercise therapy, nutrition support, counselling, stress management and our highly regarded 2-Day LIFE program, which just took place in our new centre for the first time this week,” Chera told the crowd at the Wednesday event.

“Patients affected by cancer can now access these essential services close to home in a welcoming environment.”

She said a team of clinicians across the province will further support Kamloops patients virtually, making another 20 classes and programs available for patients weekly.

The centre was created in collaboration with the Royal Inland Hospital Foundation, the Kamloops Cancer Supportive Care Society and the Pink Ribbon Charity Ball Committee, the latter of which donated $1 million over three years for the new centre.

The new centre is InspireHealth’s fourth physical location in B.C., with the others located in Vancouver, Victoria and Kelowna.

The Kamloops centre requires about $1 million a year to run. RIHF CEO Heidi Coleman told Castanet the provincial government funds up to 40 per cent for the other three centres, but not Kamloops.

“So we’re not being covered by the government yet and so all the money is coming from donations, so the Royal Inland Hospital Foundation is putting in quite a bit of money,” Coleman said.

The Pink Ribbon Charity Ball Committee has donated $1 million to cover expenses over the next three years for the Kamloops centre. After that, Coleman said the hope is the province will pitch in funding like they do for the other InspireHealth locations.

She said the RIHF will continue to fundraise to cover InspireHealth’s operating expenses. Coleman called the new centre a “big win for the community,” noting she expects demand for cancer care services to grow.

“I think this is going to be a busy place, sadly, because I hear from the doctors how many new patients they’re getting a month, and it’s a lot,” she said.

Chera said there are about 35,000 cancer diagnoses a year in B.C., and she expects that will grow to 45,000 over the next decade.

Shelley Battistella, a RIHF member and former cancer patient, told Wednesday’s crowd Inspire Health “became a lifeline” after her diagnosis.

“The compassion, kindness and sense of community I found here helped carry me through moments when I felt at my weakest,” Battistella said.

“This new space represents hope, it represents a commitment to caring for the whole person and to create a place where no one has to feel alone while navigating cancer.”

Construction is underway on a $386-million BC Cancer Centre at RIH, expected to be complete in 2029.