A Woman of Vision: South Shuswap Health Services President Steps Down
After 13 years of service, Sue McCrae steps down as SSHSS President (photo credit Jerre Paquette)
By Carole Jeffries
“If you want something done, ask a busy person.”
This quote, attributed to luminaries ranging from Benjamin Franklin to Lucille Ball, applies to Sue McCrae. She is, after all, one of the busiest people you’ll ever meet—and she gets things done.
Sue and her husband, Don, moved to Blind Bay in 1992. Although they were focused on family, friends, and careers, Sue noticed something: the South Shuswap needed health services.
Driving to Salmon Arm isn’t necessarily difficult on a summer afternoon when you’re feeling well, but driving to multiple medical appointments (especially on winter roads, in the dark) when you or a loved one is sick soon becomes exhausting. Sue realized that patients with chronic illnesses, parents with sick children, or anyone frequently going to Salmon Arm for health care was struggling.
In 2011, Sue retired from her career as Controller of a high-profile corporation. Family is her first love, so she cherished time with them, but by January 2013, she couldn’t sit still. Recognizing the need for health services, she said to Don, “If we want to age well here and if we want young families to become part of this community, we have to get some health services.”
And so, Sue’s quest began. As a self-taught professional with a vision and quick sense of what has to be done, she applied her business acumen and research skills to the issue. Soon, there was a big meeting, identification of needs and opportunities, and loads of work for a cadre of volunteers who stepped up to make things happen.
In June 2013, South Shuswap Health Services Society (SSHSS) was incorporated and a Board of Directors elected. Early projects included researching community health and Age Friendly programs, developing an action plan, presenting nutrition seminars, and finding sources of funding.
Research revealed that the South Shuswap was underserved and that seniors (one-third of the area’s population) particularly lacked services when compared to their counterparts elsewhere. Twelve years after its inception and with Sue at the helm as President for most of those years, SSHSS has achieved some big goals:
Administered by SSHSS, relocated to Blind Bay Marketplace Mall, and renamed Copper Island Health & Wellness Centre, the former seniors’ resource centre is now a clinic serving everyone.
Discussions between SSHSS and Life Labs Medical Laboratory Services brought medical lab collection and ECG services in 2016.
Licenced professionals and cheerful volunteers now deliver health services and wellness programs too numerous to list here. For more information, search “South Shuswap Health Services Society” online.
These services and programs are not all government run. While the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Social Services, Interior Health, Shuswap Family Centre, The United Way, and several granting bodies certainly deserve thanks, it’s local volunteers who’ve pushed things forward.
Sue is deeply grateful to Terry Barker for his support in the Centre’s development; the facility enables SSHSS to attract more services. She also sincerely thanks the skilled volunteers who make everything possible. “It’s not one person doing the work,” she says, “but a remarkable team of volunteers. All of them bring enthusiasm and dedication to SSHSS.”
One disappointment for Sue is that a medical clinic has not yet opened in the Centre. In 2019, a physician worked in the Centre’s Saturday clinic until he retired. To successfully open a more permanent primary care clinic, the community needs to rally support from the local Division of Practice, local physicians, and the Ministry of Health. “Community participation,” Sue says, “is the only way”.
The current population of CSRD Areas C & G totals about 10,000 people (plus summer visitors). Sue describes the Sorrento & Area Community Health Centre as a Godsend, but argues that a population of this size needs more. Stories of patients driving back and forth to Salmon Arm for medical services prompt her to ask, “Why don’t we have more services in our own community?”
It’s a good question, but one that others will have to tackle because Sue stepped down from SSHSS last month. After 13 years of service, this busy senior wants to continue other volunteer commitments, focus on family, and golf with the folks she’s watched on the links for years.
As she begins a new chapter of life, Sue McCrae knows that she’s turning over SSHSS (her baby) to busy people who understand the need and offer the skills and passion to get things done. She’s confident that they and the community will continue building on the foundation that’s been laid.
