Over 20,000 people are anticipated to take part in over 100 wellness-focused, community-organized events in First Nations communities across the province of BC as part of the June 21 Aboriginal Day of Wellness events supported by the FNHA. 

Find event listings and more information on the 2016 Day of Wellness here! 

#FNHAWellness 

The FNHA is pleased to announce the launch of a campaign to support the advancement of cultural humility and cultural safety for First Nations and Aboriginal peoples in the British Columbia health system. In July 2015, all Health Authority CEOs in BC signed a Declaration of Commitment to advancing cultural humility and cultural safety within their health service organizations.

This health system commitment to the declaration gives all health professionals a mandate to advance cultural humility and safety in their practices with First Nations in BC. 

Our cultural humility web portal contains educational materials, definitions, presentations, the declaration itself, social media posts, visuals and much more. 

Click here to learn more about the concepts of ​cultural safety and cultural humility, and how you can participate! 

#itstartswithme                    #culturalhumility 

Do you want to help socialize and promote cultural safety and humility in your organization and the greater health care system?

The FNHA and our partners, the BC Patient Quality & Safety Council, have created pledge cards for both health professionals to share a Commitment to Cultural Safety and Humility and First Nations and Aboriginal peoples to share a Vision of Cultural Humility and Cultural Safety within the Health System. 

Download pledge cards here! 

What next? 

1) Print the card
2) Make a com​mitment
3) Snap a pic
4) hashtag #itstartswithme​​ and #culturalhumility on social media

FNHA social media accounts are listed below!

Is your community hosting a June 21 Day of Wellness Event?

We are inviting our host communities and partner communicators
to share events happening in their regions and promote the Day of
Wellness to support a narrative shift from illness to wellness.

The Aboriginal Day of Wellness Media Kit includes everything you need to start promoting and publicizing your event!

Attending events on June 21?

Check out our sample social media posts you can customize or share! 

Be sure to join us on our social media channels above and tag #FNHAWellness for your posts! 

​This information is being provided to increase awareness of drought and water restriction conditions and to take action to minimize negative impacts during the dry season.

Drought conditions can impact communities and individuals by reducing the amount of water available for household and business uses. Under extreme conditions, water systems could run out of potable water and be unable to meet fire suppression requirements. Drought can also impact water quality from surface sources that can reduce the safety of the treated water.

Read more here. 

Over the last six months, the 12-member advisory group – made up of First Nations, municipal leaders, the First Nations Health Authority, the Northern Health Authority and ministry representatives – has met regularly to discuss and advance the Highway 16 Transporation Action Plan.

Read an update here.

Last week on Coast Salish Territory in Vancouver, the Canadian Health Informatics Awards Gala shone its light on the innovators who are reimagining healthcare delivery in Canada. The First Nations Telehealth Expansion Project was proud and honoured to win one of the seven awards of the evening – the award for ‘Excellence in Canadian Telehealth’.

“This award is truly a celebration of the success of BC First Nations in developing and implementing access to health care services – services that are timely, efficient and culturally safe,” said Megan Hunt, former Director, eHealth, as she accepted the award on behalf of the whole team. “These telehealth services positively impact the health and wellbeing of our Nations.”

Read the full story here.

The second annual Welcoming Baby Ceremony was witnessed by many families attending the annual Teddy Bear Picnic at Lobelco Hall fairgrounds on May 15th in Nuxalk Territory. Eighteen babies born in 2015 were recognized and their families were presented with a traditional Nuxalk blanket and a gift basket with several generous donations from local businesses.

The event is to honour babies and their families and to symbolize a welcoming back to Nuxalk traditional territory as birthing services are not available locally. Special thanks to Bonnie Siwallace who made the lovely blankets and to Chris Nelson and Kim Mack and their children for the beautiful honor song sung for the Bella Coola 2015 Babies.

Kudos to FNHA Community Health Nurse Carolyn DiGuistini for organizing the event! 

Ten Graduates received certification for Safe Babies, the gold standard course by the Ministry of Children & Families Development to provide foster care for infants. The course was a pilot project by the Central Coast, MCFD to ensure that foster children do not have to leave their rural communities for foster care placements.

Thanks to the partnership between MCFD and the Nuxalk Nation, participants learned to nurture strong and healthy children, drawing on the experiential knowledge of their cultural ancestry and lands. The class was facilitated by Health Director Peter Tallio and FNHA Nurse Carolyn DiGuistini. 

Nurses are the largest group of health professionals that live in or visit First Nations communities on a daily basis, placing them at the forefront of care. They are the eyes, ears and helping hands on the ground. In honour of Nursing Week 2016, we caught up with Robynn Muldoe, Homecare Nurse at Gitxsan Health Society, to learn about her work, background and the important role that nursing plays in her home community of Sik-e-dakh.

Read it here!

Recognize a patient, caregiver, or family member.

Did your project improve how care is delivered? Do you know somebody who made an outstanding contribution to improving quality of care?

The 2017 Quality Awards celebrate projects within the four areas of care as well as four inspiring individuals. For the first time, BCPQSC is recognizing a patient, caregiver or family member who advanced the patient voice in BC’s health care system. Read on to learn more about the categories and recognition of the winners!

The deadline to submit nominations is July 15.

Have questions? Contact awards@bcpsqc.ca or 604.668.8228.

The College of Pharmacists of BC is asking for your input on the future of pharmacist prescribing in BC. The Certified Pharmacist Prescriber Draft Framework was formed with the intention of seeking input from pharmacy professionals, other prescribers and patients prior to developing the final proposal for pharmacist prescribing in BC.

The online engagement will be open until June 30, 2016.

To learn more about the Certified Pharmacist Prescriber Initiative and share your input visit this link. 

Administrative Assistant
Location: Northern
Deadline: June 20, 2016 at 4:00 PM
Job description

Student, Community Health and Wellness Services
Location: Vancouver
Deadline: June 20, 2016 at 4:00 PM
Job description

Facilities Project Manager
Location: Vancouver
Deadline: June 23, 2016 at 4:00 PM
Job description

Labour Relations Consultant
Location: West Vancouver
Deadline: June 27, 2016 at 4:00pm
Job description

Manager, Reconciliation and Claims Analysis
Location: Vancouver
Deadline: June 28, 2016 at 4:00pm
Job description

Staff Writer
Location: Prince George
Deadline: July 1, 2016 at 4:00 PM
Job description

Nurse In Charge, Nursing Station (FT)
Location: Kitkatla, Kwadacha, Anahim Lake, Tsay Key Dene
Deadline: Open Until Filled
Job description

Community Health Representatives
Location: Sechelt BC
Deadline: Open Until Filled
Job description

Cultural Liaison
Location: Lillooet BC
Deadline: June 17, 2016 4:00 PM
Job description

Community Liaison Nurse, Indigenous Complex Care Coordination
Location: Vancouver BC
Deadline: Open Until Filled
Job description

Manager of Nursing Services
Location: Port Alberni BC
Deadline: June 24, 2016 4:00 PM
Job description

Child Protection Service Worker
Location: Lytton BC
Deadline: June 23, 2016 4:00 PM
Job description