In this 30th edition of Women in Business, women were interviewed who are employed in front-line positions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

These women share their stories of overcoming negativity, working with the community and turning unpredictable situations into something positive香蕉视频直播� in the hope that their perseverance and success will become the guiding light for the next generation of women in business.

Women in Business shows who the movers and the shakers are in Kelowna and that there is always a space to share stories of successful women.

As soon as you walk through the doors of Outreach Urban Health (OUH) in downtown Kelowna, you know you香蕉视频直播檙e amongst people who care.

The clinic houses nurse practitioners, registered nurses, social workers, mental health and substance use clinicians, and family doctors. All of them support those who are homeless or dealing with mental illness, substance use, as well as people without access to traditional healthcare services.

Dana Jones is a member of this unique team. She graduated from the University of British Columbia香蕉视频直播檚 Masters of Nurse Practitioners program in 2008, arriving at OUH in 2013. She has also worked on Vancouver香蕉视频直播檚 downtown eastside, in hospital emergency rooms in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.

香蕉视频直播淚t probably stems from my childhood,香蕉视频直播� said Jones. 香蕉视频直播淚 actually wanted to be a marine biologist. Then I realized you don香蕉视频直播檛 actually get to swim with the dolphins, you香蕉视频直播檙e pretty much stuck in a lab all the time and I香蕉视频直播檓 a much more sociable person than that. I liked biology. I liked people so nursing seemed like a good fit.香蕉视频直播�

Personal tragedy and a need to help others were also factors in her decision to focus on nursing.

香蕉视频直播淢y favourite uncle died of HIV when I was 11 years old,香蕉视频直播� added Jones. 香蕉视频直播淲hen I was in nursing school, we had two extended friends and family members die of HIV, secondary to drug use. When I was working in nursing school at St. Paul香蕉视频直播檚 (hospital), which had a lot of marginalized IV drug-using population, and the poor quality of care that I saw these people receiving within the healthcare system really drove me, and I focused my whole undergrad basically on the marginalized population. I香蕉视频直播檝e always sort been driven for that social justice, social equity, health equity lens of providing care.香蕉视频直播�

Another member of the team, Catherine Birtwhistle, received her Masters of Nursing from the University of British Columbia in 2012, and then her Nurse Practitioners Masters while living in Toronto, graduating in 2016. She also felt a draw and a need to help others.

香蕉视频直播淚 grew up in Yukon and worked with many First Nations people,香蕉视频直播� said Birtwhistle. 香蕉视频直播淲hen I did my masters, I did research that focused on improving health outcomes for Aboriginal women, and so all of my positions I香蕉视频直播檝e primarily worked with marginalized populations where health care was difficult to access and it was just shocking that a lot of people weren香蕉视频直播檛 getting any primary care, in particular in rural settings.香蕉视频直播�

Birtwhistle also spent time working in northern B.C., as well as Haida Gwaii. She joined OUH after her husband had a job transfer to Kelowna in August 2021.

香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e connecting with people who struggle to get equitable care,香蕉视频直播� explained Birtwhistle. 香蕉视频直播淚 feel like our clinic, our team, our whole mindset here is to try and reach people who are struggling and work within their parameters. That means we香蕉视频直播檙e going into shelters, going out on the street, and helping people who typically have a hard time going into a clinic or a hospital.香蕉视频直播�

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged OUH in providing care, services, and resources to their clients, Birtwhistle and Jones credit the entire team for going above and beyond.

香蕉视频直播淥ur clinic was sort of a meeting place for the community and the waiting room was quite busy at times,香蕉视频直播� said Jones. 香蕉视频直播淚t drew people in, having the comfort of a safe place to be, and we could capitalize and grab those people and say 香蕉视频直播榟ey, you香蕉视频直播檙e overdue for this, or hey, you need to come in for this.香蕉视频直播� What was really amazing is the medical office assistants upfront, they knew everybody. They know where they live, where they香蕉视频直播檙e staying, who their friends are, who to pass messages on to because they don香蕉视频直播檛 have phones or emails. So it香蕉视频直播檚 really cool to see how that whole team has to come together to make this clinic work.香蕉视频直播�

Talking with Birtwhistle and Jones you understand that they feel the struggles of their clients. They香蕉视频直播檝e seen how they are marginalized. They香蕉视频直播檝e seen some die. It can be difficult to process. Again, they credit the team they work with to get through difficult circumstances.

香蕉视频直播淥ur staff here, we all care so much and genuinely you just have to push through,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淪eeing people do well with the work that we香蕉视频直播檙e doing with them is what helps us keep going. Seeing someone finally get treatment for their addiction, HIV or Hep C, that香蕉视频直播檚 where we香蕉视频直播檙e making a difference. You have to focus on that because you do get bogged down. COVID has been extremely hard. A lot of our patients choose not to be vaccinated. We understand the trauma people are going through, and it香蕉视频直播檚 okay. We香蕉视频直播檙e still going to care for you.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e in it together, we support one another,香蕉视频直播� added Jones.

Jones took the whole month of October off, saying she was burnt out and sick as was her husband.

香蕉视频直播淚 was overloaded. I come into work and I香蕉视频直播檓 busy on a Friday and I香蕉视频直播檓 stressed and it香蕉视频直播檚 like okay, what can we do? We香蕉视频直播檒l support that. Everybody pitches in and that香蕉视频直播檚 what makes it manageable. It香蕉视频直播檚 relationship building. That香蕉视频直播檚 what gets people in. That香蕉视频直播檚 what gets people connected. That香蕉视频直播檚 what gets people staying engaged with care and making changes in their lives,香蕉视频直播� she said.

It香蕉视频直播檚 the connections they make with clients that are the most rewarding part of what they do.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 always been the relationships,香蕉视频直播� said Jones. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 why I stopped working emergency. I香蕉视频直播檇 follow my patients up when they were 香蕉视频直播榯ransferred to ICU to make sure the transfer was right and the patient was safe. But it wasn香蕉视频直播檛 my job. I needed to pull back. So to do primary care and have that longevity and the longitudinal care, that really suits me.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淲e do it because we care,香蕉视频直播� added Birtwhistle. 香蕉视频直播淭his is the kind of work that you have to care about people. It香蕉视频直播檚 not just a job. I would say our leaders are totally aligned with us. They listen when we say 香蕉视频直播榯his is the issue, we need more support for this.香蕉视频直播� I think so many of the people in our population that we serve, feel so judged. There香蕉视频直播檚 so much stigma, and when they come here that香蕉视频直播檚 out the window. They truly feel accepted.香蕉视频直播�