Sheila Corneillie is the President of the Health Wellness Action Coalition based in Ashcroft, and Jackie Tegart is the Member of the Legislative Assembly for the area of Fraser-Nicola. The Healthcare & Wellness Coalition - a community group is dedicated to advocate for consistent and sustainable healthcare in our community. Working collaboratively with elected officials, Interior Health and Ministry of Health, and they have reached out to Jackie to help them in their advocacy in regards to local healthcare.

One of the bold promises that came out of the 2020 provincial election was the NDP's promise of a 24/7 hospital put back in Ashcroft, and even though the NDP candidate for the area did not win Jackie the Liberal MLA for the area plans on holding the provincial Government to account. However Sheila says that a 24/7 Hospital was never what was being asked for, in stead a health site that takes in =to consideration that emergencies happen at any time and the capability to help in those situations would work as well.

Currently the health site has two doctors that work Monday-Friday 9-5, and run an emergency room on the weekends Friday at 6pm til Monday morning at 6am. the is currently an x-ray station and a place to have blood work done, although Interior health currently has no plans on replacing the lab tach when she retires this coming March.

Sheila and the HWAC group have been advocating for more healthcare services over the last several years, and with Jackie's help has been invited to join the numerous round table discussions with local healthcare providers, politicians and doctors, so that they can add their views on what healthcare should look like.

The advent of telehealth has been a boon to the rural catchment area in question, but a shortage of doctors and declining services has the group worried about the future of Ashcroft's health site. "There has been a real decline over the last twenty years, with programs and services being shut down, with no recourse but to travel to Kamloops, and that is a real shame when there are so many people dependent on this healthcare site", Sheila says.