Adventures in Healthcare 2025: Peace Region

Byron Stewart

April 30, 2025

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What is the "Adventures in Healthcare" program?

Adventures in Healthcare is a Rotary initiative, involving partnerships with the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC), Northern Lights College, Northern Health (NH), School District 59 (South Peace), School District 60 (North Peace) and the two Rotary Clubs of Fort St. John: the Fort St. John Rotary Club and the Fort St. John Sunrise Rotary Club.

Students toured the Surgical Services Unit at the FSJ Hospital.

The program is an initiative designed to introduce high school students to a variety of health care careers and pathways, engage students through hands-on activities, workshops, and interactions with professionals, and inspire the next generation of health care workers.

The 2025 Peace Region Adventures in Healthcare took place over three days, March 11-13, in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John. During the program, 36 students in Grades 10 and 11 from Fort St. John, Dawson Creek, Chetwynd, and Tumbler Ridge had the opportunity to learn about our regional health care services and they heard first-hand about career journeys available to them in health care. There were 18 students from Fort St. John’s North Peace Secondary School,12 students from Dawson Creek’s South Peace Secondary School, and three students each from the District of Tumbler Ridge and the District of Chetwynd. This interaction provided valuable insights into the diverse roles and responsibilities within the health care sector.

John Stackhouse, Social Worker, presenting to the students about the Specialized Community Services Team.

The program is meant to showcase the exciting possibilities of different careers in health, especially in the Peace River region of our province. The three-day program featured a variety of settings and topics for the students to observe, learn, participate in, ask questions, and have some fun!

Day 1 - March 11

The students were welcomed to the 2025 Adventures in Healthcare program and received a schedule, shirt, and goody-bag. The students then enjoyed the morning at the Health Sciences building on the Dawson Creek Northern Lights Campus and were introduced to the Health Care Assistant (HCA) and the Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) programs. In the afternoon, students were given:

A presentation on the construction and plans for the new Dawson Creek & District Region Hospital, from the DCDH Project Management Team, Graham Design-Builders, and Angus Connect.
A presentation from Specialized Services, providing information on addiction and mental health supports within the Peace Region, and
A tour of Rotary Manor, a long-term care facility in Dawson Creek.

Students learned how to perform stitches.

Day 2 – March 12

The students started the day with a tour of the Fort St. John Regional Hospital. In the morning, they had the opportunity to visit and learn about the UBC Faculty of Medicine, the Multi-Function Lab, Medical Imaging, the Emergency Department (including the Clinical Decision Unit & Intensive Care Unit) and Peace Villa Long -Term Care Facility. In the afternoon, they visited the Inpatient Unit, Physio/Occupational Therapy, Surgical Services, Respiratory Therapy, and then wrapped up the day in the Birthing Centre.

Day 3 – March 13

For their final day, students were welcomed to the UNBC / Northern Lights College Fort St. John Campus. They were introduced to the Northern Baccalaureate Nursing program and participated in a variety of nursing activities within the Nursing Lab and classroom settings. They learned how to stitch a wound and participated in naloxone training. Finally, students were introduced to the variety of roles and career paths there are in the field of social work and were given a tour of a local, privately owned, physiotherapy clinic in Fort St. John.

Desiree Lillico, Rehabilitation Lead – Physiotherapy, demonstrating some of the equipment.

Why is this an important event?

This program provides high school students the opportunity to learn about a variety of careers in health care by visiting facilities and being able to speak to the professionals who are currently working in the health care industry. Students get to learn about educational pathways to careers in health care and speak with individuals from local post-secondary institutions who can help and support them on their educational journeys.

How does this support recruitment for NH?

Health care offers a broad range of career opportunities and possibilities to students, many of which are lesser known and often don’t get the recognition they deserve. Adventures in Healthcare introduces students to many of these careers and shows them what the day-to-day working life looks like, along with the educational journeys these professionals have taken. From homework to healthcare, the hope of a program such as Adventures in Healthcare is to provide encouragement and support for these students to choose a path toward a profession in health care and, once they receive their training, return to our communities.

Denise Mitchell, Chief Respiratory Therapist, assisting the students with inserting a breathing tube.

Fun was had by all our Peace Region participants and hopefully this will inspire some of the students to work towards a career in health care to support care in our region.