Author Archives: raisa vecina

Link: http://www.vch.ca/your-care/indigenous-health/indigenous-self-identification

This last post hits close to home as we are implementing a new electronic health record in Vancouver’s biggest hospital. The addition of CST Cerner in Vancouver General and over 50 clinics is transforming health care delivery through the use of an electronic health record. A major milestone in this transformational delivery is the ability for Indigenous self-identification. As a patient comes into the hospital to access care, a part of the registration process is to ask if a patient self-identifies as Indigenous. The answers are private and confidential, and is not requiring of proof. If a patient does self-identify as Indigenous, they get immediate access to the Indigenous Patient Experience Team and other resources and services that will help their inpatient stay. Being able to do this will allow health care workers to better deliver culturally safe care from a multidisciplinary approach, and with partnership with the Indigenous Patient Experience Team. In addition, this will allow practitioners to include traditional practices in the health care plan.

Additional Link:https://umanitoba.ca/ongomiizwin/sites/ongomiizwin/files/2022-07/Indigenous%20health%20care%20quality%20framework.pdf

This video is an introduction to the Indigenous Healthcare Quality Framework. The framework is patient-centered and calls for the achievable, sustainable improvements in health care delivery for Indigenous communities that is rooted in high quality, culturally safe care. Its premise is rooted in ensuring health care delivery is anti-racist – a commitment to actively resist, disrupt and challenge existing systemic policies attitudes and practices that promote racial inequality. It also shines light on understanding historical relationships between health care providers and Indigenous patients. It also includes actionable goals and requirements of health care that includes: compassion, nonjudgmental delivery, ethical, culturally safe and others.

Link: http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/courses/csafety/mod3/

This is a third of 3 interactive modules that includes readings and activities that allow reflection of the Indigenous peoples’ experiences of colonzation and racism as it relates to health and health care. There are some readings, audio and video files embedded within, but also some reflective questions that guide the learner.

Some key reflections as a learner goes through this module:

• understand the Indigenous peoples’ experiences with health, health care and healing
• understand current policies and practices in health care and education
• how to support inclusive healing practices for all people
• understand your own professional and personal responsibilities to build strength and capacity in health care settings and beyond
• using lens of cultural safety

Link: https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/assets/info/ihp/if-ihp-indigenous-health-commitments.pdf

I thought the Indigenous Health Commitments outlined above was a practical, well thought-out document highlighting recommendations for policy makers, processes and organizations. The recommendations are grounded in honesty through listening, understanding, acting and being. There are also actionable items that commit to optimizing people, processes, wise practices and outcomes.

Link: https://www.afn.ca/uploads/files/fnhta_final.pdf

In this module, I wanted to delve deeper into the latter part of my paper and that is what changes we can make at the policy level to bridge the gap in health care for the Indigenous communities. I would also like to dig deeper into how educational technology can help transform and bridge this gap in policy and health care delivery.

This First Nations Health Transformation Agenda speaks from the voices of Indigenous elders and leaders to provide recommendations to achieve health and wellness outcomes. This focuses on 3 aspects:

1. Getting the relationship right: focusing on relationships within health care and with the Indigenous communities to achieve rights to self-determination
2. Meaningful Investments in First Nations Health
3. Support First Nations Capacity First

This is a Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) offered by the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Native Studies that is comprised of 12 weeks (12 modules). This course discusses Canadian history from an Indigenous perspective and includes many topics: Indigenous world views, legal systems and rights, Indigenous women, political activism, contemporary indigenous life, art and expression. This course was authored by Indigenous educators, elders, storytellers and is open to all.

Link to course and registration: https://www.ualberta.ca/admissions-programs/online-courses/indigenous-canada/index.html?fbclid=IwAR1FBGkr3cJrGLG6NfY6mGUsx9nL3eI-kmYjSkqeXzkUOgakclcqZyHnjOs

Website: https://indigenousmidwifery.ca/publications/

A part of my research project was to determine how to bridge the gap to access care in the birth experience of Indigenous mothers, and a part of it is to discuss how health care resources can be allocated to these communities so more women can give birth locally and within their communities. I found this website helpful in inspiring Indigenous women to consider Indigenous midwifery. It includes e-books that can be downloaded or ordered. Some examples of e-books or resources that can be accessed are: “Guided by our Ancestors: Indigenous Midwives and Advocacy”, “Stories and Teachings about Pregnancy, Birth and Infant Care”, “Restoring Midwifery and Birth Workbook” to name a few.

http://www.isuma.tv/nitv/nitv-trailer

Isuma TV allows hosts to upload and share multiple media projects and I thought this was a great platform for Nunavut filmography, videos and digital media to be shared globally. There are videos, podcasts, audios and more that can be broadcasted to home viewers at any time. It is also shared in multiple languages, and allows an online platform for the global community to share in the digital storytelling from these communities. Global community members can also comment and upload their own projects and members can interact with one another.

I thought this was a really insightful and inspirational webinar wherein the Wilson Center’s Maternal Health Initiative partnered with Indigenous midwives (through International Confederation of Midwives) around the world to discuss the importance of this role in respecting, understanding and shedding light on this role that is sometimes forgotten in health care. This webinar is an example of coming together of many different global communities to advocate and share experiences, despite different geographical circumstances. There is a collective voice to grow Indigenous midwifery around the world. There is enriching discussion around policies that drive practice worldwide, discuss barriers in the communities they are serving and find ways to work as a global community to support each other’s roles and encourage more community members to take on this role to support their communities.

This book, “Born into my Grandmother’s Hands: Honouring First Nations’ Birth Knowledge and Practice in North Yukon” by Rachel Olson, Charlotte Moores and Kathleen Cranfield delves into the Yukon First Nations’ experiences of birth. It dives into the history of birth, including aspects related to birthing in their land, the role of Indigenous midwives in the birth experience, and understanding birth practices, rituals and histories. It also includes many stories from the community members of the Yukon First Nations and provides opportunity for the First Nations of today and non-Indigenous health care providers to reflect, understand and bring forward these stories in ways that can enlighten the health care delivery in the birth setting for the future of these communities.

This e-book can be accessed here: https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3A45905026-783b-41c3-b517-61b26ecf6e59