Aboriginal Health & Wellness

Aboriginal Health and Wellness Strategy (AHWS) 2022-2026

The AHWS serves as a framework for IH’s 23,000 staff and 1,900 physicians to provide high quality, safe and effective health services to all Aboriginal peoples and families. The strategy is informed by and supports commitments to Aboriginal partners through signed agreements, including the Letters of Understanding (LOUs), Partnership Accord, and Cultural Safety Declaration, as well as the IH Strategic Priorities and Ministry of Health (MOH) mandate.

Read the strategy

Directly aligned with our focus on providing quality driven, people-centred care for Aboriginal peoples, the Aboriginal Mental Wellness Plan (AMWP) aligns with our mental health and substance use, First Nations Health Authority and Aboriginal community planning. It was developed through input by Aboriginal peoples, families, communities, organizations and health-care providers.

Read the strategy

We are committed to working together with First Nation and Métis partners to change our health system and eliminate racism and discrimination at Interior Health.

Read statement on behalf of B.C. health authorities

Susan Brown, Interior Health president & CEO, on the work done by Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond:

“The important work led by Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond to investigate the extent to which Indigenous-specific racism exists in our health system, must mark a turning point for our province and our region. Although it is difficult to hear and read the results of the investigation, and to understand the significant impacts of racism in the lives of First Nation and Métis people living in the southern Interior, it is also what drives us to change.

We now have an accountability to respond. I want to thank every person who shared their story and who contributed their experiences to Ms. Turpel-Lafond’s review, which was summarized in the In Plain Sight report released in November which was further detailed in the report released (in February). Addressing Indigenous racism and discrimination is a priority for Interior Health.

We are committed to working together with our First Nation and Métis partners to ensure each person who receives care and services from IH is treated with respect, dignity and compassion.”

Aboriginal Patient Navigators are available to support your care journey and make it less stressful for you and your family. Any member of your care team including your doctor or nurse can refer you to an Aboriginal Patient Navigator. You can also request that an Aboriginal Patient Navigator is part of your care team at any point during your care. Aboriginal Patient Navigators are available to:

• Offer emotional and cultural support 
• Create a respectful space and help support the rest of your care team to provide care in a culturally safe way 
• Be part of your care and discharge planning team 
• Provide access to spiritual care for you and your family
• Connect with your Elder or spiritual care provider to ensure you have access to them during your care
• Contact language translation services

We are committed to closing the gap in health and social conditions between Aboriginal peoples and other British Columbians. The Aboriginal Self Identification project enables Interior Health and Aboriginal Health organizations and communities to collaboratively work together to improve the health status of Aboriginal people living within IH. 

Collecting Aboriginal Self Identification information supports the Transformative Change Accord (an agreement between the Province, Federal Government and Aboriginal Governments), and the B.C. government’s commitment to close the health status gap between Aboriginal peoples and non-Aboriginal people living in British Columbia. All groups of Aboriginal peoples in Canada experience inequities in health outcomes and a higher rate of chronic disease and injury compared to non-Aboriginal Canadians.

Everyone is given the opportunity to self identify as having Aboriginal ancestry; no assumptions are being made about who is Aboriginal and who is not.

Yes. Choosing whether or not to self identity is completely voluntary. If you don’t wish to provide the information there will be absolutely no impact on the quality of care you receive.

People who self identify as Aboriginal will be asked a few more questions including whether or not they want to receive Aboriginal Patient Navigator services. Self identification enables our care teams to deliver more culturally sensitive care and to integrate traditional practices into your care plan. 

We are committed to providing appropriate, culturally competent, high quality care to everyone.

Collecting information on Aboriginal ancestry will strengthen our efforts to design and deliver more culturally sensitive programs and integrate traditional practices into the delivery of health care to First Nations, Métis and Inuit people. 

We will share de-identified information with Aboriginal governments for their health care planning purposes. 

All information collected is completely confidential and protected by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

No, you will only be asked once and your answers will become part of your electronic patient record.

Yes, you can change your Aboriginal Self Identification response during any visit to an Interior Health facility.

Aboriginal organizations were involved in the development of the Aboriginal Self Identification  questions. The Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation also worked with Aboriginal organizations and the First Nations Leadership Council to develop the Aboriginal Administrative Data Standard that is used across ministries for the collection and analysis of information about Aboriginal people.