Indigenous wellness with, by and for Indigenous peoples
A project made possible by the CHUM Foundation
Quebec may have a universal healthcare system, but the reality is that not everyone has equal access to healthcare services; our current system is not always responsive to the needs and experiences of minority groups, including members of Indigenous communities.
CHUM specialists, in partnership with Projets autochtones du Québec (PAQ), have been working together day in and day out to create an inclusive and equitable environment where patients can receive highly specialized holistic care that is sensitive to the cultures and values of Indigenous communities.
Act faster to provide culturally safe care
Propelled by their commitment to ensuring a better hospital experience for Indigenous people and restoring their faith in Quebec’s healthcare system, the CHUM-PAQ partnership advocates the “two-eyed seeing” approach. This entails recognizing the best of Indigenous and Western healthcare knowledge and practices and incorporating them by using them to complement each other.
This project is supported by committees of Indigenous healthcare experts and brings together a PAQ community health service and an Indigenous wellness liaison service at the CHUM, currently being rolled out in four pilot units: emergency medicine, internal medicine, addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry.
The CHUM’s proactive response to care requests from Quebec’s Indigenous communities and Indigenous peoples serves as a benchmark for other healthcare centres, particularly in terms of the range of measures it implemented. These include appointment reminders and escorts, waiting room visits, cultural outreach and involving family members and community stakeholders throughout the care process.
The result is that patients are more comfortable with care staff, their needs are better understood, their treatment options are more personalized and they enjoy better continuity of care.
“I feel good. . . . I am treated like a queen. I don't feel discriminated or judged and people are nice to me. It feels good to be treated like a human being.”
The atikamekw artist Meky Ottawa is creating a mural that will help patients have a more stress-free experience in the waiting room of the addiction medicine outpatient clinic.
Effecting positive change: A strongpoint of philanthropy
Driven by the desire to drastically improve Indigenous health and wellness and support the tireless work of the CHUM’s teams, Scotia Bank, Fondation Choquette-Legault and Énergir have chosen to support this transformative project. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts!
