News

Every New Year’s Day, Northern Health monitors its hospitals and labour and delivery units for the birth of New Year’s babies across the region.

Watch this page for updates on the birth of 2023 New Year’s babies in communities across the North.

Prince George's New Year's Baby is a boy!

Baby Paxton was born at 12:45 am at the University Hospital of Northern British Columbia (UHNBC), weighing 7 lbs 15 oz. Congratulations to mom and dad, Chelsea and Dave, of Prince George. Baby Paxton is the first for the family. 

More people may be planning to visit loved ones in care over the holiday season. In order to protect the health of our patients, residents, and staff, here is a reminder of the current policies in place for visitors to our NH facilities.

Northerners are urged to make getting a flu shot part of their holiday preparation, especially for young children under the age of five. This weekend, many communities will have Northern Health drop-in influenza clinics for children.

On December 5th, 2022, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Northern Health (NH) and the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) was renewed for a fourth time. This renewal is in recognition of a shared commitment to furthering knowledge about and developing the capacity for the advancement of the health of Northern British Columbians through the integration of practice, education and research.

The Northern Health Connections program will run on a modified schedule starting December 20, leading up to an annual holiday and maintenance break that takes place each year at this time.

NH Connections provides transportation for clients travelling to non-emergent health services outside their home communities. A variety of routes connect communities across Northern BC along with service to Vancouver. Demand for the service typically drops over the holiday season as fewer people book health care appointments.

There has been an increase in overdose events in the community of Prince George. The substances are being reported as greyish green or white/blue down causing sudden severe overdose and increased sedation. There has been reports of loss of time.

Northerners are encouraged to make sure they are up to date on their influenza (flu) and COVID-19 immunizations to protect themselves, their loved ones, their communities and the health-care system during respiratory illness season. Getting immunized continues to be one of the most effective ways to protect yourself and those around you from hospitalization or serious illness.

There has been an increase in overdose events across the Northern Interior region. Substances circulating are highly toxic, causing heavy and prolonged sedation requiring medical intervention and hospitalization. The reported substances involved are meth.