Introducing our Staff

The Aboriginal Healthy Living Branch within the Population and Public Health Division of the Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport provides an Aboriginal lens to strategic priorities, legislation, policy and program development and manages policy tables with a range of Aboriginal organizations. The branch also works with the health authorities to ensure that planning processes address the needs of Aboriginal peoples and their services are delivered in a culturally appropriate way. Staff work closely with the First Nations Leadership Council, First Nations Health Council, and the federal government to implement actions set out in the Tripartite First Nations Health Plan. To learn more about who we are read the staff bios from our current team members. 

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Minister's Message

I am pleased to introduce the first edition of the Aboriginal Healthy Living newsletter. There are many exciting initiatives underway to improve the health and well-being of Aboriginal people in BC. Many of these initiatives are firsts in Canada. This quarterly newsletter is a new way to inform you about these initiatives and the staff and partners working on them. 

The groundbreaking Tripartite First Nations Health Plan was the first of its kind in Canada when it was signed in 2007 by the Province of BC, the Government of Canada and the First Nations Leadership Council. Currently, there are over 30 specific actions underway in areas such as population health, health human resources, health systems and research and surveillance. First Nations, the Province, health authorities, and Health Canada are working together to ensure First Nations are engaged  in decision making regarding the health of their people. More information is available in the British Columbia Tripartite First Nations Health Plan Year In Review.

A key commitment in the Tripartite First Nations Health Plan was the creation of a new structure for the governance of First Nations health services in BC. The new governance structure has four essential components:  a First Nations Health Governing Body, a First Nations Health Council, a Tripartite First Nations Health Provincial Advisory Committee, and a First Nations Health Directors Association. This past July saw another first in Canada with the initialling of an agreement to negotiate the creation of a new First Nations governing structure in BC. Tripartite partners are now working to develop a binding legal agreement that will see a First Nations governing body administer federal health services for First Nations in BC.

There are exciting initiatives underway with the Métis Nation BC, including a data sharing agreement to enable the development of health status indicators for Métis citizens.

Our shared vision is for all Aboriginal people in BC to benefit from these initiatives.

I hope you enjoy reading this first edition of the newsletter.

Honourable Ida Chong, FCGA
Minister of Healthy Living and Sport

link to Minister’s site

Greetings from our Executive Director

I am honoured to be able to showcase the first Aboriginal Healthy Living Newsletter with all of our partners and colleagues. I am also very proud to introduce to you a team of very diligent and passionate individuals who are working within the unique environment provided by the Tripartite First Nations Health Plan, to improve the health of Indigenous people, families, communities and nations in British Columbia. With our partners from the First Nations Health Council and Health Canada, we are working to create a path to wellness for Aboriginal people that is unique in Canada, and in the world. 

I would also like to acknowledge those who have walked on this journey before us. Their vision, commitment and tenacity have humbled us, and have sparked a process of true transformative change. We honour their vision by continuing to move the work forward. As we move toward the implementation of the more than 30 Health Actions to which we have committed ourselves; engaging communities, health authorities, health care providers; we remind ourselves of that vision: “ to improve the health and well-being of First Nations to close the health gap between First Nations and other British Columbians”. I hope you will join us as we journey.

Be well,

Shannon M. McDonald
Executive Director
Aboriginal Healthy Living Branch

 

Basis for a Framework Agreement

On July 26, 2010 the Tripartite Partners representing the Government of British Columbia (BC), the Government of Canada, and the BC First Nations Health Council initialled the “Basis for a Framework Agreement on Health Governance.” This agreement in principle provides the broad outlines for negotiations to develop a legal agreement on First Nations Health Governance. 

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