Ziisbaakdonaapnewin E-naagdawenjgejig – Integrated Diabetes Care Team Clinics to be launched

December 1, 2014

Diabetes care teamsNipissing First Nation is pleased to announce that on Dec. 3, a total of ten service providers are coming together to provide innovative and integrated diabetes services to community members residing on Nipissing First Nation.

In 2012, Nipissing First Nation received funding from the Health Services Integration Fund (HSIF) to develop an Integrated Diabetes Care Team service delivery model in collaboration with Dokis and Temagami First Nation. The model weaves together federal/provincial/ LHIN/private sector jurisdictions, to complement the First Nations governance and management structure.  The three participating First Nations represent three different geo-political realities in Ontario.  Nipissing First Nation was asked to take the lead in this project and has coordinated many of the processes that resulted in two clinics being held as of this date.

The Integrated Diabetes Care Team clinics taking place in the three participating First Nation communities are designed to decrease structural and cultural barriers through the community based clinical approach. The Integrated Diabetes Care Team members have participated in cultural competency training to assist them with interaction with community members. This training is intended to increase the core competencies of the Team and encourage each Team member to approach the clinic with the utmost respect and appreciation for the communities. The priority groups (primary beneficiaries) for the project are the three First Nation communities and their members who have not been able to effectively access diabetes services.

The Integrated Diabetes Care Teams will provide a clinic once per quarter in each of the three participating First Nations. The first Integrated Diabetes Care Team clinic was held on October 15, 2014 in Temagami First Nation and Dokis First Nation held their first Integrated Diabetes Care Team clinic on November 19th, 2014.  All three First Nations have scheduled their clinics as far in advance as September 23, 2015.

The Nipissing First Nation Integrated Diabetes Care Team will be responsible for ensuring that not only the minimal Diabetes Standard of Care Screening Tests occur annually but that optimal additional services for people living with diabetes are covered for each client they see.  The role of the integrated team is to improve continuity of services that includes ongoing screening, diabetes management, education, medical supervision and referrals to specialized services.  Collectively they will work with the client to advocate, safeguard and case manage to optimize their experience and minimize the barriers listed above.

The Nipissing First Nation Integrated Diabetes Care Team will be seeing up to 12 clients on December 3, 2014 in a World Café format held at the Lawrence Commanda Health Centre in Nipissing First Nation.  This will allow for an informal setting characterized by switching stations and engaging in relevant diabetes related discussions.  Clients and service providers will participate in an interactive lunch and learn. This provides community members living with diabetes to meet with a wide variety of health service providers in a culturally-safe setting.  Each station is designed in such a way that most if not all components of Diabetes Management Clinical Practice Guidelines (2013) are screened and followed up in one setting.  This will promote culturally safe diabetes care, enhance knowledge transfer, increase access to appropriate wholistic services and improve overall diabetes management. At the end of the day, the Integrated Diabetes Care Team will collectively participate in case reviews and ensure appropriate follow-up and referrals are made.

Members of the Nipissing First Nation Integrated Diabetes Care Team include the following service providers:

  • Nurse Practitioner
  • Dentist
  • Chiropodist
  • Pharmacist
  • Diabetes Nurse Educator
  • Health Promotion Worker
  • Registered Dietitian
  • Addictions Counselor
  • Mental Health Therapist
  • Psychologist

Nipissing First Nation would like to thank the following individuals and organizations who are members of their Integrated Diabetes Care Team.  These partners are participating without any financial remuneration for travel or fees from the HSIF project or Nipissing First Nation: Dr. Heather Lariviere, Bay Orthotic & Foot Clinic, Medical Pharmacy and North Bay Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic.

Nipissing First Nation is excited to host the third Integrated Diabetes Care Team clinic after two years of collaborative planning with the HSIF Steering Committee and partners Temagami and Dokis First Nation.  Along with the First Nation partners the HSIF Steering Committee organizations include the Diabetes Centre – Nipissing District,  North Bay Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic, North East Local Health Integration Network (Chronic Disease Prevention Management), Temagami Family Health Team, West Nipissing Family Health Team, West Nipissing Community Health Centre We are confident that this comprehensive and First Nation designed approach will both improve continuity of services and support referrals to additional services promoting safe and healthy lifestyles for people living with diabetes.

Background:

Statistically, First Nation people do not receive the same level of diabetes care as outlined in the Canadian Diabetes Association guidelines. This has been attributed to the lack of care clinics within First Nation communities and barriers that derive from economic, social, and political factors and marginalization. These barriers are producing less emphasis on many self-management opportunities including dietary, physical activity, culturally safe education and self-efficacy required for chronic illness.

The naming of this project was a joint effort by Shirley Williams, Muriel Sawyer and Evelyn McLeod.  The name, Ziisbaakdonaapnewin E-naagdawenjgejig, translates to “People who look after sugar diabetes”.  The logo images of the deer (Nipissing), eagle (Dokis) and bear (Temagami) have been incorporated to symbolically depict the First Nation communities involved with the project. The main human figure with a central blood drop represents a First Nation person living with diabetes; the secondary figures standing at his side represent the families, clients and service workers who support all people living with diabetes.

HSIF project objectives are:

  1. To improve the early identification of diabetes and access to health services for First Nations by implementing a culturally safe integrated health system of diabetes care using a community-based clinical approach which combines federal and provincially funded health services; and,
  1. To improve First Nations ownership of design, delivery and evaluation in a comprehensive approach to diabetes health service delivery, reducing structural barriers and thereby improving measurable outcomes.

Kimberly Lalonde, Health Services Manager, Nipissing First Nation

705-753-3312              kiml@nfn.ca

Andrea J. Williams, Williams Consulting, HSIF Project Manager

(403) 949-5613           andrea@williamsconsulting.ca