Northern Health's aboriginal health team has changed its name and launched a new website.
"We have the opportunity to write history that will be remembered for addressing inequities, for being inclusive and for achieving culturally safe health care delivery," said Dr. Margo Greenwood, vice president of the Indigenous Health Team.
The group continues to work within Northern Health to build a health care system that honours diversity and provides culturally-safe services for indigenous peoples and communities.
The team name was altered to reflect the evolving contexts and new relationships that come with change.
"We cover a region that has issues that other parts of the province don't understand. There is a closeness people in trauma feel with one another here that you don't get in big cities," Greenwood said.
"The work of Northern Health's Indigenous Health Team seeks to create spaces for privileging the voices of indigenous peoples, for celebrating diversity and for partnering with indigenous peoples in realizing their optimal health and well-being."
The new website offers an interactive map including locations and contact information of various indigenous communities, health centres, aboriginal/patient liasons, health improvement committees, friendship centres and Metis associations across B.C.
An animated video was also released that introduces cultural safety to health-care providers.
"The launch of the new Northern Indigenous Health website and cultural safety video is a great example of the systematic shift Northern Health leadership is committed to achieving throughout their organizations and with their peers," said First Nations Health Authority regional director Nicole Cross.
"We look forward to seeing the great work ahead for cultural safety within Northern Health and the positive impacts this will have on the experience of our northern First Nation communities."
For more information regarding the Indigenous Health program, go online: www.indigenoushealthnh.ca
