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Vancouver Coastal Partnership Accord combines innovation, integration and tradition for better First Nations health services
COAST SALISH TERRITORY (Vancouver, BC) - The Vancouver Coastal Regional Caucus, interim First Nations Health Authority, and Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) have announced signing of the historic Vancouver Coastal Partnership Accord creating a new path to improving health outcomes, programs, and services for First Nations in the Vancouver Coastal region.
“This marks the beginning for us to improve services, foster meaningful collaboration and partnership through Community-Driven Nation-Based engagement, and increase First Nation involvement in decision making,” said Ernest Armann of the Vancouver Coastal Regional Caucus. “I am excited the Partnership Accord has been reached and I look forward to an evolving and enduring partnership in support of First Nations health and wellness in the Vancouver Coastal Region.”
The Accord sets the goal of attaining significant improvements in health outcomes by achieving a higher level of integration through joint planning and engagement, a focus on accountability and evaluation, and providing culturally appropriate, safe and effective services. It acknowledges the diversity in size and traditions of Coastal First Nations, the rights of each First Nation to govern their own affairs, and the rights of VCH to govern its health services delivery area.
“Vancouver Coastal Health is committed to improving the health of First Nations and Aboriginal people and this can only be done in partnership with the community,” said Dr. David Ostrow, President & CEO of Vancouver Coastal Health. “The Partnership Accord will strengthen the relationship we have with First Nations and will foster greater self-determination for First Nations communities over their health care. We look forward to finding creative solutions and approaches as we embark on this new relationship.”
Specific initiatives include:
• The establishment of an Aboriginal Health Steering Committee as a forum for partnership, collaboration, and joint efforts on First Nation and Aboriginal health priorities, policies, budgets, programs and services in the Vancouver Coastal region.
• The development of an Urban Health Strategy that gives First Nations and Aboriginals a voice in the design of culturally relevant services and offers VCH guidelines and policies to incorporate specific traditional protocols and practices in the entire organization with the goal of supporting and improving services.
• The creation of a strategic Aboriginal Health and Wellness Plan for the Vancouver Coastal region with concrete milestones and deliverables.
The Accord builds on several key documents and agreements on First Nations health, including the Transformative Change Accord: First Nations Health Plan, Tripartite First Nations Health Plan, Consensus Paper 2011: British Columbia First Nations Perspectives on a New Health Governance Arrangement, and the British Columbia Tripartite Framework Agreement on First Nation Health Governance.
“The Vancouver Coastal region is one of the most diverse in its health care needs and challenges for First Nations people, including rural and remote communities, urban First Nations communities and the away-from-home population,” said Joe Gallagher, CEO of the interim First Nations Health Authority. “This Accord will bring all parties to the table to develop and implement innovations and solutions that work for everyone and improve the health and well-being of all residents of the region.”
VCH is responsible for the delivery of $3.2 billion in community, hospital and residential care to more than one million people in communities including Richmond, Vancouver, the North Shore, Sunshine Coast, Sea to Sky corridor, Powell River, Bella Bella and Bella Coola.
The Vancouver Coastal Regional Caucus is composed and representative of Vancouver Coastal First Nations and serves as the regional planning and engagement forum for First Nations health in the region through the interim First Nations Health Authority.
PDF Download | Partnership_Accord_VC_-_May_16,_2012.pdf
A high resolution photo is available upon request.
Background Documents:
The Transformative Change Accord: First Nations Health Plan (2006)
The Tripartite First Nations Health Plan (2007)
The Consensus Paper: British Columbia First Nations Perspectives on a new Health Governance Arrangement (2011)
British Columbia Tripartite Framework Agreement on First Nation Health Governance (2011)
Connect with us:
First Nations Health Authority: http://www.fnhc.ca
Vancouver Coastal Health Authority: http://www.vch.ca
Media Contacts:
Trevor Kehoe
Communications
First Nations Health Authority
604-831-4898
Tiffany Akins
Communications & Public Affairs
Vancouver Coastal Health
604-319-7530
View this release as a PDF: FOR_IMMEDIATE_RELEASE_-_Vancouver_Coastal_Partnership_Accord.pdf
Vancouver Coastal Regional Report
The First Nations Health Council (FNHC) launched a “Health Partnership” in January 2011, and made the Workbook available online and as the focus of a series of First Nations regional caucus sessions across the province. The Health Partnership Workbook summarized the discussions about health governance held at more than 100 First Nations regional caucus meetings over the past three years and asked First Nations Chiefs, leaders and senior health professionals in BC to confirm this summary of feedback gathered and share new thoughts and perspectives. The results will inform further discussions, negotiations and relationship building towards the establishment of a new health governance arrangement of First Nations health services in BC.
The feedback provided by First Nations through the regional caucus sessions and the Health Partnership Workbook has been rolled into 5 summary documents – one for each region in BC. The initial regional reports were provided to each region for review, discussion and further amendment in April 2011 and this revised version of the initial draft report was provided again to each region in May 2011.
Vancouver_Coastal_Regional_Report | PDF Download |
Health Council Members
Ernest Armann
Ernest Armann is a member of N’quatqua of the Stl’atl’imx Nation. He has been married 20 years and is the father of 3 children – 2 sons and a daughter. Mr. Armann has worked as Band Manager for the past fifteen years. In this role he has been responsible for administration of all Band Operations including health and social programs.
Mr. Armann has received formal training in Administration through UBC/Sauder School of Business and has a Diploma in Public Administration/Administering Aboriginal Governance from UVIC.
Mr. Armann also serves as a Resource Advisory for Lower Stl’atl’imx Tribal Council and provides advisory services for four communities: Douglas First Nation, N’quatqua, Samahquam and Skatin Nations. He has served on a range of boards and committees and was selected to sit as a member of the First Nations Health Council during its reformation last spring (2010). Mr. Armann represents one of three seats for the Health Council from the Vancouver Coastal Region Health Governance Caucus.
Leah George-Wilson
Leah, whose ancestral name is Sisi-ya-ama, is a member of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation (TWN), located in North Vancouver. Leah was the first woman elected Chief for the TWN and served for 3 terms.
She holds a degree in Anthropology from Simon Fraser University and is currently attending Law School at University of British Columbia. She is on leave from her position as the Director of Treaty, Lands and Resources for the TWN, a position she has held since 2001. Leah also is serving her fourth term as the elected co-Chair for the First Nations Summit, and is a board member for the TWN Olympic Legacy Trust as well as the Lands Advisory Board. Leah is married and has a daughter in University.
Georgina Flamand
Georgina Flamand was recently selected to represent the Wuikinuxv Nation on the Vancouver Coastal Health Region. The Central Coast Sub-Region (Nuxalk, Heiltsuk, Wuikinuxv and Kitasoo) of the Vancouver Coastal Caucus also selected her to represent the sub-region on the First Nations Health Council.
Ms. Flamand is an elected member of the Council for the Wuikinuxv Nation (formerly known as Oweekeno or Rivers Inlet) and has an extensive background in Health, Administration, and Finance.
Ms. Flamand has lived in Wuikinuxv for nine years and understands firsthand the circumstances and challenges of living in a remote and relatively small First Nation. The needs and challenges faced by remote First Nations have been discussed widely by BC First Nations and Ms. Flamand will bring a valuable perspective to the Health Council regarding the challenges faced by her community and others with similar challenges.
A member of Aboriginal Finanacial Officers Association, Ms. Flamand is currently pursuing the designation, Certified Aboriginal Financial manager. In 2002 she received an associate of arts degree in Indigenous Government Administration.
Ms. Flamand has also participated on a number of boards in the greater Vancouver area that provide services and programs to the urban First Nation population. With her experience in both remote First Nations communities and working with urban First Nations people, Ms. Flamand has a good understanding of the challenges and barriers that will be valuable in the ongoing work of the First Nations Health Council.
Georgina has a fifteen year old daughter named Hope; a partern in life - Brian Johnson.