Abstract
Background: Indigenous populations face unique health challenges and disproportionately suffer from greater health disparities compared to non-Indigenous populations. Historically, mainstream healthcare systems have often failed to address these disparities in culturally appropriate ways, generally requiring Indigenous health practices to conform to western models of healthcare. This misalignment has fostered persistent hesitancy and distrust among Indigenous communities, exacerbated by both historical injustices and contemporary inequities.
The Indigenous Primary Health Care Council (IPHCC), a provincial member-based organization in Ontario, actively works towards a transformative agenda that places "Indigenous Health in Indigenous Hands." This initiative is pivotal in promoting health system changes that prioritize the social and emotional wellbeing of Indigenous peoples. The IPHCC employs innovative strategies, tools, and resources to empower its members, enabling them to navigate and overcome barriers within the mainstream health sector. The ultimate goal of these efforts is to realize an equitable transformation of health systems, characterized by Indigenous leadership, cultural safety, wholistic approaches, and collaborative practices that result in improved health outcomes for Indigenous communities in Ontario.
This workshop will delve into the effective strategies developed by the IPHCC and its members to ensure accountability from mainstream health partners and various government levels. It will also emphasize the importance of fostering meaningful relationships that respect and incorporate Indigenous knowledge and healing practices into the broader health care paradigm. Participants will gain insights into successful relationship-building tactics, education, and awareness initiatives, and the development of a provincial hub that supports robust data management and sharing of best practices. Through sharing these experiences and lessons learned, the workshop aims to highlight the efficacy of these strategies and inspire continued progress towards health systems transformation.
Audience: Researchers, academics, students, policy makers, administrators, executive leadership, healthcare providers.
Approach: The structure of the workshop will be 5 minutes introduction, 25 minutes of presentation, 20 minutes small group work, 10 large group sharing of discussion highlights.
Three Key Learnings:
1.Necessity of Indigenous Leadership and Governance in Healthcare
2.Integration of Indigenous Knowledge and Healing Practices
3.Collaboration and Partnership for Sustainable Health Outcomes