Health Transformation begins with on-the-ground direction from health providers
By Marci Becking
TORONTO – Health Directors from all over Anishinabek Nation territory met in Toronto on Dec. 3-4, 2018, to talk about what Health Transformation should look like and what direction this engagement process should take with First Nations citizens.
Health Transformation champion and former Chief of Kettle and Stony Point, Tom Bressette, says that he has been an advocate for people to assume the control of health care for a long time. He spoke to the some 30 participants in the room and urged them to help create a path forward.
“We need to take control about what we are complaining about,” says Bressette. “Services aren’t what they should be. You guys are the health professionals. You are from our communities and know what our needs, problems and short falls are. If we had a better system, we could put all funding together in one envelope and come up with a good set of health professionals who will guide and decide what direction to take. It won’t be political people. It will be people like you who have spent your lives working and servicing our people in health care. We need you. We need your input to tell us what you want.”
Bressette says that assertion over health jurisdiction will make the nation stronger.
“We were advanced in health care before the Europeans got here. It’s about time we got to use what we shared and do it ourselves. The reality is we’re here [at this summit] doing some planning. This is the first step.”
Northern Superior Regional Deputy Grand Council Chief Ed Wawia reminded the group to not forget about citizens off reserve. Chief Wawia also participated in the round-robin group work and focussed on what a governance structure for health would look like.
The two-day summit was facilitated by Mariette Sutherland who put the group to work brainstorming in the areas of communications and collaboration; culturally appropriate/language/natural law; vision, values & principles; governance, consent and communications; infrastructure, data management and financial resources and finally, scope.
Other speakers include Anishinabek Nation Health Director Jamie Restoule; Assistant Director of Partnerships Canada Julien Castonguay; Chief Operating Officer of the First Nation Health Authority Richard Jock; Regional Executive of First Nations & Inuit Health Branch Ontario Gerry Best and the Anishinabek Nation Health Transformation Fiscal Analyst John Scherebnyj.