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About Indigenous Health in the Hospital(s)

London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC)

Through Indigenous Health, LHSC’s Indigenous Health team is taking active steps to advance more culturally safe, inclusive and equitable health care with Indigenous Peoples. We aim for our hospitals to be a place where Indigenous patients and families feel safe and valued, and where they have access to ceremony and traditional health practices and teachings. We are committed to walking the path of reconciliation, to listening and learning from the Indigenous communities we serve and answering the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action related to health care.

LHSC is working towards building culturally safe and appropriate care and services:

  • To improve access to quality care through a variety of providers, both clinical and non-clinical, addressing the physical, social, emotional and spiritual care needs of the patient.
  • To provide resource support and advocacy for Indigenous patients, caregivers, and their families by appropriately responding to their health needs and goals.
  • To assist in bridging the service gaps between Indigenous communities and health care providers by facilitating linkages to services.
  • The Indigenous Health Team at LHSC includes clinical and non-clinical staff, who support LHSC’s fundamental commitments and strategic priorities.  
  • Wellness supports and services specific to Indigenous patients at LHSC and Children’s Hospital
Indigenous Healing Space

The Indigenous Healing Space was created in partnership with Atlohsa Family Healing Services as a direct response to two of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action related to healthcare. This space, located at E1-204 in Victoria Hospital, represents a culture-informed environment of care at LHSC and is used for Traditional Health Practices, Ceremony and Traditional Teachings.   

LHSC Indigenous Health Team

Clinical Staff:

  • Andrea Racette, Indigenous Health Navigator, Emergency Department, Victoria Hospital
  • Heather MacDonald, Indigenous Health Navigator, Emergency Department, University Hospital
  • Brianna Kluwer, Indigenous Navigator, Mental Health Program, LHSC
  • Kiara Alich, Child & Youth Indigenous Navigator, Children’s Hospital, LHSC
  • Rachel Sutherland, Indigenous Patient Navigator, Verspeeten Family Cancer Centre

Non-Clinical Staff:

  • Chantel Antone, Indigenous Health Lead, LHSC
  • Colleen Jewell, Indigenous Learning Developer-Indigenous Health/Learning & Development, LHSC

St. Thomas Elgin General

At St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital, our commitment to truth and reconciliation is not just a declaration but a guiding ethos that informs our actions and initiatives. It is our unwavering dedication to acknowledging historical injustices, fostering healing, and actively working toward meaningful change. Truth and reconciliation represent more than an acknowledgment of past wrongs, particularly those inflicted upon Indigenous peoples, but also a proactive effort to address the ongoing impacts of colonization, systemic discrimination, and cultural marginalization. We recognize that this commitment entails engaging with our local Indigenous communities and individuals in a spirit of humility, respect, and collaboration. Ultimately, our organization's commitment to truth and reconciliation is not just a statement—it's a guiding principle that shapes our policies, practices, and interactions. It reflects our belief in the importance of acknowledging past injustices, working towards healing and reconciliation, and building a more inclusive and equitable future for all. 

Patient and Family Services

Co-design of Multi-Faith Space with local Indigenous artists to provide a welcoming environment for spiritual practices and cultural expression.  

Collaboration with Pharmacy team and SOAHAC to ensure equitable access to medication and services through Non-Insured Health Benefits for Indigenous patients.  

Indigenous representation on Patient & Family Advisory Council to prioritize Indigenous patient and family perspectives in decision-making. Engagement with local Indigenous communities through community visits, fostering partnerships and understanding to better serve Indigenous patients and families.

Proactive complaint resolution with Indigenous nations, collaborating to address health needs and improve patient experiences.  

Partnership with SOAHAC to establish an Indigenous Navigator role, dedicated to supporting Indigenous patients and families through the health care system and helping to access culturally appropriate care. 

Brightshores

Welcome to Brightshores Health System. We operate six hospitals in the Grey Bruce region. Our mission is to build healthier communities one patient at a time.  We have 1,900 dedicated and compassionate staff and over 150 physicians who work together delivering excellent patient care to residents and visitors across Grey Bruce.

Our Regional Hospital in Owen Sound is the largest of our sites, and offers a full range of specialty services, including complex surgeries, total joint replacements, cancer surgeries, MRI and CT diagnostic services. Across the six hospitals, we have more than 100,000 patient visits per year 

Indigenous Patient Navigator Services 

Indigenous Patient Navigators are here to help Indigenous people (First Nations, Inuit, Métis) find their way through the health care system.

The Brightshores Navigators are available at the Southampton, Wiarton and Owen Sound hospitals and they can make sure you have access to the support and services you need. They can: Advocate for you and your family, explain your health care plan, Help fill out or understand forms, assist with discharge planning, connect you to a traditional healer, connect you with other helpful resources in the community

The Navigators are employed by Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre (SOAHAC) and their contact information is listed below:

Carrie Burke 
Indigenous Patient Navigator 

Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centres

The Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre's (SOAHAC) purpose is to improve access to, and the quality of, health services for First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in the spirit of partnership, mutual respect and sharing.

As an Aboriginal Health Access Centres (AHAC), they provide innovative, Indigenous-informed health care to First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities in southwestern Ontario from Windsor to Waterloo Wellington and north to Owen Sound.

‍They do this through a combination of health and social services: 
  • Traditional healing
  • Primary health care
  • Health promotion services
  • Cultural programs
  • Community development initiatives
  • Social support services

SOAHAC is part of a group of AHACs that were first announced in Ontario in 1995 in response to epidemic, systemic health disparities and inequities within the Aboriginal (now Indigenous) population across Ontario. AHACs operate from a wholistic Indigenous health framework which is often referred to by Indigenous people as “the good life” or as restoring the “good mind.” The framework focuses on the restoration and rebalancing of the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing of Indigenous people, families, communities and Nations, and understands “culture as treatment.”

SOAHAC has several locations in the South West Region including: SOAHAC – Chippewa of the Thames, London, Waterloo Wellington, Owen Sound and Newburry.  

Primary Care services provided include Diabetes Education, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Services, Indigenous Midwifery & Women’s Health Promotion, Palliative Care, Pharmacy, Family Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Registered Practical Nurses and Registered Nurses and other health professionals who provide specific services such as Chiropody, physiotherapy, Nutrition, and Harm reductions.

SOAHAC has Patient Navigators that provide support to their clients in hospitals.  

Regional Indigenous Cancer Plan Overview

Go back to the South West Regional Cancer Plans landing page.