Story by Amy Crofts and Lisa Peters; Photo by Amy Crofts
Aboriginal liaisons in Bonnyville and Wood Buffalo were recently highlighted by Alberta Health Services and its partners.
In Bonnyville, about 70 residents and staff from AHS and Covenant Health gathered on June 21 to celebrate National Aboriginal Day and raise awareness about the Aboriginal Liaison Program that launched in the area last November.
The program is a one-year pilot project jointly supported by AHS, Covenant Health and Tribal Chief Ventures. It offers language services (Dene and Cree) and emotional and spiritual support for Aboriginal patients and their families.
The program is based at the Bonnyville Healthcare Centre and serves the local Aboriginal population, including those in communities such as Frog Lake, Cold Lake, St. Paul and Lac La Biche.
The Aboriginal Health liaison position has had successful outcomes in other various northern communities, such as Grande Prairie, Peace River, Lac La Biche and others.
The ceremonies held on June 21 featured a teepee raising, pipe ceremony and smudging, followed by a feast.
“Today’s celebration helped to raise awareness and to strengthen our partnerships and collaboratives with the Aboriginal communities,” says Lorraine Bérubé, director of Clinical Operations, Area 8.
An event was also held in Fort McMurray on June 26 to announce that a new Aboriginal liaison worker will serve the needs of Aboriginal communities in the Municipality of Wood Buffalo.
A donation from Finning will fund the new position for two years. It is the intention to have the position funded by AHS in the future.
“The support from Finning Canada in the development of this new position in Public Health is important to this region,” says Dan Fouts, chairman of the Northern Lights Health Foundation, Board of Directors. “The new position will help bring us closer to our vision of connecting our community to excellence in health care.”
Based at the Thickwood Public Health Centre in Fort McMurray, the new worker will advocate for and support Aboriginal clients and families in health-care facilities and the community by promoting awareness of existing services and programs.
“With the support of Finning and the Northern Lights Health Foundation, we will now be able to provide this invaluable service and better support to the Wood Buffalo Aboriginal community,” says Donna Koch, executive director, Population and Public Health, North Zone. “The addition of the Aboriginal Health liaison worker will make accessing health care an easier, smoother and more comfortable experience.”
For more information about AHS's Aboriginal Health Program visit www.ahs.ca/findhealth/Service.aspx?id=7805.
