2024-2025 Grant Recipients

Enhancing Cultural Safety in Family Medicine: Partnering with Indigenous Communities to Co-Create Culturally Safe Care Pathways: Unceded Traditional territory of the Stó:lō Coast Salish peoples (Chilliwack, BC)

This project aimed to create culturally safe practices and protocols guided by local Indigenous leaders and knowledge keepers. To ensure that both community members and physicians voices inform the project, a structured interview process was conducted to serve as a bridge to foster understanding and identify shared priorities between family physicians and Indigenous leaders.

A care pathway framework development process was then implemented, focusing on two culturally safe care pathways which were chronic disease management incorporating traditional healing perspectives, and culturally safe mental health and substance use. These were co-created by physicians and Indigenous Elders and leaders. Workshops were then held and attended by 25 family physicians and 12 allied health professionals.

Pilot implementation of the care pathways resulted in positive feedback from both patients and family physicians. Through this project, relationships with local Elders, knowledge keepers and Indigenous health advocates have been created and will be sustained beyond the scope of this relationship through regular consultations.

Improving Access to Culturally-Safe Abortion Care on Southern Vancouver Island: Unceded Traditional lək̓wəŋən Territory (Victoria, BC)

This project aimed to provide education for staff, improve the provision of trauma-informed care for Indigenous patients served by Vancouver Island Women's Clinic and strengthen relationships with local organizations and providers. The project was coordinated by Miranda Kelly (Miranda Kelly Consulting), a full spectrum doula and Indigenous Health leader and advocate.

A workshop and presentation were held for all staff and physicians, which was led by Danette Jubinville (ekw’í7tl Doula Collective) and included Willow Paul (Research Manager at the Fireweed Project: Indigenous Peoples and the Right to Abortion) who was able to speak on her research into Indigenous experiences in abortion care. The project also provided opportunity for reflection after learnings, which included the creation of an Indigenous Cultural Safety workbook and resource guide.

This workshop resulted in providing new language and viewpoints to include in practice at Vancouver Island Women's Clinic, ways to educate new staff and physicians to approach care in a way that is culturally-safe and new materials to be able to provide patients with.

Walk-in Clinic at Osoyoos Indian Band Health Centre: Unceded Traditional territory of the sukənaqin and sməlqmix people (Oliver, BC) -

This project supported the creation of culturally safe community-based care walk in clinic in the Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB) Health & Resource Centre. The clinic seeks to address the shortage of primary medical care by attaching Indigenous patients to providers that provide care with a cultural safety and humility lens.
The creation of the Osoyoos Indian Band Health Centre has made a large community impact. Several residents, family physicians and an Indigenous nurse practitioner have all seen patients at the clinic. The clinic allows flexibility for patients that live in community and has diverted approximately 15 people each day it was open from the local emergency department. It has also been a place of learning for rural family medicine residents and medical students in culturally safe and humble care.

Integrating Indigenous Approaches to Care at Herway Home Clinic: Unceded Traditional lək̓wəŋən Territory (Victoria, BC)

This project aimed to enhance the integration of Indigenous models of care into HerWay Home clinic, which is a clinic and program that provides care to individuals and families impacted by substance use.
Stakeholders, such as the Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness (ACEH), Songhees Nation representatives, Elders and Aunties, were engaged to establish ongoing partnerships and to define the project goals. These consultations provided ways to optimize cultural safety in the HerWay Home clinic service model. Funding was used to hire and formalize a part time position for an Indigenous Outreach Worker/Knowledge Keeper. This role provides cultural support in groups, medical visits and supports clients individually. Informal feedback from clients highlighted appreciation for the cultural support which affirms the importance of continuing and expanding Indigenous-centered care.

HerWay Home clinic has committed to continuing this work and sustaining funding for the Indigenous Outreach Worker/Knowledge Keeper role beyond the grant period.

Food & Friends – Strengthening Relationships and Raising Voices: Unceded Traditional territory of the Coast Salish People (Langley, BC)

This project aimed to use a decolonial approach to gathering through creation of a safe space for family physicians, community family care providers, local First Nations and Indigenous community members to have dialogue about how to best incorporate culturally safe practices in primary care.

Throughout this project, a series of four gatherings titled Meaningful Meals were held, each with a different theme to strengthen and build upon relationships with the local Indigenous community. The first session focused on supporting Indigenous youth aged 12-24 at Foundry Langley, in which youth were led by a chef to help prepare their meals fostering peer collaboration and creativity in the kitchen. They were able to learn about nutrition as well as about youth clinic services offered at Foundry.

The second session's theme was "Movement is Medicine" where participants and physicians took part in a Zumba class, a cultural Métis Jigging workshop and a dinner catered by Pipɑ:m̓ Catering (https://pipamcatering.com/). The aim of this was to foster a safe space for open discussion, build trust between community members and physicians and finally for Langley physicians to gain understanding on what movement and health can look like for their local Indigenous communities.

The third session was "Navigating Care Resources" wherein local Indigenous community members were invited for an evening of discussion and to share a good meal with the hopes of breaking down barriers and discussing how to navigate care resources. This session resulted in the creation of three tools to support the navigation of primary care in the community.

The final session was a gathering held with local Indigenous Elders, where the importance of incorporating Elders and Traditional Healers into a primary care setting was discussed.

This project allowed for relationship building and a unique space for mutual learning and understanding. It has also reaffirmed the need for ongoing relationship-building between Indigenous community members and healthcare providers.

Shuswap Lake General Hospital – Sacred Garden Revitalization Project: Unceded Traditional Territories of the Secwépemc people (Salmon Arm)

A project that will implement a sacred Indigenous healing garden at Shuswap Lake General Hospital. The healing garden will be co-developed with local Indigenous partners and will provide a space for traditional medicines, ceremonies and land-based healing practices that will integrate Indigenous healing models into the healthcare system. This project seeks to enhance cultural safety competency, improve communication and foster trust with Indigenous patients and communities, and create a welcoming space that will inspire others in their journey towards Truth and Reconciliation.

Leading Our Way with Culture – Nisga’a Valley Health Authority Community Guidance Circle Project: Nisg̱a’a Lands (Gitlax̱t’aamiks, BC)

The project will form a Community Guidance Circle of community appointed Indigenous Elders and individuals which will meet with physician and nursing teams to align the work that the Nisga’a Health Authority does with Nisga’a principles. Initial \goals for the Community Guidance Circle will be to inform how to create more culturally appropriate and safe clinical spaces and how to better integrate traditional medicines and wellness into health centers. This project will aim to strengthen relationships between the Nisga’a Valley Health Authority, the four Nisga’a communities ((Gitlax̱t’aamiks, Gitwinksihlkw, Lax̱g̱alts’ap, and Ging̱olx) and Nisga’a Elders and Knowledge Keepers.

Healing Encounters: Cultural Safety and Trauma Sensitive care in the ER: Unceded Traditional territory of the Wet’suwet’en people (Smithers, BC)

This project will have 3 three hour sessions, with a group of 10-15 family physicians and other front line staff, which will be facilitated by a local Wet’ suet’ en leader. The aim of this project is to learn about Indigenous-settler relations in the Smithers area as well as to become more informed about healthcare related trauma for Indigenous patients. It is through this work that primary care providers will be able to provide safer and more sensitive care to vulnerable patients.