Our Physicians

Dr. Mandy Manak

Specializing in Addiction Medicine, Dr. Mandy Manak is based in Kamloops, where she provides consultative services for patients with substance use disorders at Royal Inland Hospital and Phoenix Detox Centre. She is the founding principle and Medical Director of the Interior Chemical Dependency Office and Interior Medical Monitoring. As a certified MRO, she provides Occupational Addiction Independent Medical Evaluations for safety-sensitive individuals. She is a partner in and Chief Medical Officer for A New Tomorrow, an inpatient addiction treatment center, where she was responsible for developing program structure, policy, and procedures with the goal of improving long term outcomes and reducing risk for patients with substance use disorders.

She is a Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine, a Diplomate of the American Board of Addiction Medicine, exam certified with the International Society of Addiction Medicine and a certificant of the Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine. She is a certified Medical Review Officer with the American Association of Review Officers.

In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Manak has previously been a member of the Opiate Agonist Therapy Panel and the Prescription Review Committee at the CPSBC, a Board member with CSAM, and the founding Chairperson of the Western Canada Addiction Forum.

Dr. Orlando Passerin, BSC, DC, MD, CCFP, ABAM, CSAM, AAMRO

Dr. Passerin, originally from Kamloops, attended Saba University School of Medicine, graduating in 2009. He completed residency at Queens in 2012, during which, Dr. Passerin received training in Prison Medicine, including via telehealth, delivering addiction services to minimum, medium and maximum security prison.

Dr. Passerin is board certified in Addiction Medicine through the American Board of Addiction Medicine and has been a member in good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC since 2012. He is a member of ASAM, ISAM, and CSAM. He is also a certified Medical Review Officer with the American Association of Medical Review Officers.

Dr. Passerin has a robust addiction medicine practice with the Interior Chemical Dependency Office. He functions as an MRO providing Medical Monitoring services for substance dependent patients in safety-sensitive positions through Interior Medical Monitoring. Dr. Passerin also works at the Kamloops Urgent Primary Care Learning Centre, and he is a part of the Addiction Consultation Team at Royal Inland Hospital.

Madhu Sai Deevanapalli

He completed his engineering diploma in 1995, before entering as the first order of monks alongside his mother, at the age of 24. He immersed himself into working on his innermost self over the next few years, with the help and guidance of his Masters in India. He travelled over 15 countries as a monk conducting workshops and retreats on mindful awareness practices, relationships, meditations, emotional intelligence, and continued with spiritual counselling as a Yoga Therapist helping people with their careers, anxiety, depression, grief, mental blocks. He opened new meditation centers in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, the USA, Nigeria, Ghana, and Mexico, and piloted many self-awareness programs in Universities and Corporations promoting self-enquiry and yogic practices leading them to a deeper self-knowledge.

Madhu Sai worked for five years in Los Angeles at an Integrative Medical Center as a Holistic Counsellor and Yoga Therapist with patients having autoimmune diseases, pregnancy complications, anxiety, depression, insomnia, past traumas and PTSD. He moved to Kamloops, BC in 2014 with his family where he co-founded The Happyness Center Foundation, an incorporated non-profit social enterprise led by equity partnership. Madhu Sai completed his training in Applied Psychology and Counselling and is a Professional Counsellor (RPC) in 2020. He is an experienced yoga teacher (E-RYT 500) and a certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT) with extensive experience in mental health and recovery. As a SMART Recovery Facilitator, he facilitates weekly meetings for recovery and mental well-being. He also currently works as a Drug and Alcohol counsellor at the Interior Chemical Dependency Office where he provides counselling services including assistance with disability applications, and assistance with treatment centre applications. 

He developed an integrated model that combines cognitive therapy and modern approaches in building inner resilience and emotional intelligence. He supports his counselling clients with recovery and mental