Indigenous patient care plan unveiled
Winterstein family spokesperson says effort falls short
Acknowledging there’s still much work to do, Niagara Health has unveiled a “road map” to address barriers to hospital care Indigenous people may experience.
Rin Simon, a member of Niagara’s Indigenous community, said the plan falls short of addressing local issues and that there needs to be more meaningful dialogue.
Unveiled by Niagara Health Friday at St. Catharines Hospital, president and chief executive officer Lynn Guerriero said the first Indigenous health services and reconciliation plan is more than “just a document.”
“It is a road map that will guide us toward a future where Indigenous patients receive care that is sensitive to their unique cultural and health-care needs.
“Through the implementation of the plan and the ongoing commitment to transparency and accountability, Niagara Health will strive to become an Indigenous ally organization, respecting the diversity of the Indigenous community and working with members to provide educational resources, hands-on learning resources and access to Indigenous elders and knowledge holders,” she said.
“Our goal is to provide culturally responsive and respectful care here in Niagara.”
Charity Beland, the hospital system’s Indigenous health services and reconciliation manager, said staff are “doing everything we can to ensure patients feel respected, valued and understood.”
She said the plan includes integrating traditional healing practices into health-care services available at Niagara hospitals.
Beland said developing this plan has been a collective process, ensuring the voices and perspectives of Indigenous leaders were understood.
She said she has seen the dedication the hospital system has had in creating models of care that revolve around the needs of patients and caregivers.
“At the centre of this plan is the Indigenous patients,” she said.
“By actively engaging our
community, we’ve co-created this plan that truly addresses the health-care needs and fosters a sense of trust and partnership. We recognize that this is a relationship, and we need to continue nurturing those relationships and make sure we continue to listen.”
Guerriero said the Indigenous health services and reconciliation plan was designed to align with the health system’s strategic plan, “and it allows us to build sustainable change … and make positive impacts on the health outcomes of Indigenous patients, providing a clear focus for Niagara Health for years to come.”
She said the hospital system was inspired by the legacy of Heather Winterstein, a 24year-old Indigenous woman who died of a staph infection at St. Catharines Hospital on Dec. 9, 2021.
Her care was, and continues to be, largely criticized by the Indigenous community.
Simon said they were asked to speak during Friday’s event at the request of Winterstein’s family.
“To my understanding, there has been no meaningful consultation with Indigenous people living in St. Catharines or the Niagara region,” they said.
“This will not do … If the health service is to be honest about its commitment to truth and reconciliation, then a full inquiry into the death of our relative Heather Winterstein should be a top priority,” they said.
“To release this report without meaningful consultation with the Indigenous community is irresponsible and lacks accountability.”
In an interview, Beland said members of Winterstein’s family were invited to the unveiling of the plan, and given a copy of the plan before it was publicly announced.
Although Simon was not a scheduled participant in the event and was permitted to speak by Guerriero, Beland said the concerns they expressed were not unexpected.
“We know there’s a lot of emotion and a lot challenges around it, and we try to be respectful and recognized that if there’s something we can learn from, we take that,” Beland said.
“We’re not out to hurt anybody, and we want to come together so we can do the work, because it will take the whole community.”
In an email, Niagara Health said an independent emergency department assessment panel was convened to understand the circumstances surrounding Winterstein’s death, and the experiences of Indigenous Peoples when they visit its emergency departments.
The panel’s report, released Aug. 28, 2023, determined “unconscious bias” may have played a role in the care the woman received during her two visits to the hospital emergency department, and made 10 recommendations to improve care for Indigenous people.
“Niagara Health accepted all of the recommendations,” the hospital system said.
“The independent panel was convened after Niagara Health completed an extensive internal quality review that resulted in 16 recommendations that were accepted and completed.”
During Friday’s event, Ontario Deputy Minister of Health Deborah Richardson shared her own experience as an Indigenous woman being treated for breast cancer a few years ago at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto.
She said cultural practices such as smudging ceremonies “really helped me, because it’s so overwhelming when you’re already going into a system that’s foreign to you and a system that notoriously does have racism and challenges that exist.”
“I think it is really great that the (Niagara) hospital (system) is taking these steps,” she said.
“It’s not a one-and-done either. We need to make sure that it’s a plan. People talk about reconciliation action. It’s action. From everything that I see, the hospital is taking this step.”