Our services range from hospital care, to community-based residential, home health, mental health and public health services.

Our facilities include hospitals, clinics, community health care centres, residential care and assisted living homes.

When children work and play together in groups, this environment provides an opportunity for the spread of a number of common childhood diseases that can be passed on from one child to the next. It is important that these diseases be prevented or, if they do occur, that they are recognized quickly and steps taken to stop them from spreading.

Public health nurses work to prevent diseases and control disease outbreaks. Further information about communicable diseases can be found at HealthLink BC.

Download Keep Our Schools Healthy poster.

Please report any cluster or trend of student/staff absences to the public health nurse.

When reporting diseases to your local health unit include:

• name
• date of birth
• gender
• address of the individual(s) involved
• the name of the doctor looking after them
• other appropriate details

To prevent the spread of any of the following communicable diseases, please contact the school nurse for consultation:

• Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS/HIV)
• Foodborne Illness (e.g., salmonella, E-coli)
• Hepatitis Viral (Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C)
• Malaria
• Measles
• Meningitis (all causes)
• Mumps
• Pertussis (Whooping Cough)
• Rabies
• Rubella (German Measles)
• Tuberculosis
• Typhoid/Paratyphoid Fever
• Waterborne Disease (all causes)

Visit the BC Centre for Disease Control for an up-to-date,comprehensive list of reportable communicable diseases.

Chicken pox: Chicken pox may have severe consequences for those with lowered immunity (i.e. receiving cancer treatment). Anyone with lowered immunity should be advised, in consultation with the Public Health Nurse, when a case of chicken pox occurs in the school. For more information about chicken pox visit HealthLink BC.

Influenza (flu) : Please contact the public health nurse if more than 10% of the school population are absent due to influenza. For more information about influenza visit HealthLink BC. Download Do Bugs Need Drugs poster.

Viral Gastroenteritis (Norovirus): Please contact the public health nurse if more than 10% of the school population OR 3 or more students and staff in a class, team, etc. are absent wtih gastrointestinal symptoms (vomiting, diarrhea). For more information about Norovirus visit HealthLink BC.