September 26, 2012
EDMONTON – Alberta Health Services (AHS) has appointed 19 members to the new Aboriginal Wisdom Council. (See attached Backgrounder.)
The Council has been established to provide guidance and recommendations to AHS on service delivery, program design and evaluation for provincewide, culturally appropriate Aboriginal health services. It will gather knowledge, ideas, opinions and stories to promote and preserve Aboriginal health and well-being. This feedback will be used to support the strategic direction of AHS.
“This council will provide a valuable mechanism for AHS to engage with Aboriginal people in Alberta,” says Dr. Chris Eagle, AHS President and Chief Executive Officer. “The people who have volunteered their time and skills to this council have deep traditional and cultural knowledge and are passionate advocates for improving Aboriginal health and wellness. We’re fortunate to have such a broad diversity of our Aboriginal communities represented.”
AHS is focused on becoming more responsive to the local needs of patients and families, and the communities in which they live. The Aboriginal Wisdom Council joins 12 Health Advisory Councils and two Provincial Advisory Councils which already provide feedback about what’s working well within the health care system, as well as suggesting areas for improvement, engaging members of the community, and communicating what’s being said about health services in their area.
Appointments followed a recruitment process that sought members of the public with strong connections to Aboriginal communities and who had experience with Aboriginal health issues.
Council members represent a broad cross-section of Aboriginal society across Alberta and include physicians, dentists, nursing professionals, traditional healers, Elders, a former RCMP officer, business people, and a former Edmonton Eskimos football player.
Each Treaty area in Alberta was consulted — as was the Métis Nation of Alberta, the Assembly of Treaty Chiefs, Elders and others — to establish the membership over the past 12 months. Ceremonial practices, blessings and appropriate protocols were used to support the council’s development and implementation.
“Health service delivery for Aboriginal people requires targeted engagement to meet the complex, tradition-based, culturally unique needs of the population,” says Val Austen-Wiebe, Executive Director of AHS’ Aboriginal Health Program. “The Aboriginal Wisdom Council allows members to share the wealth of knowledge and experience that exists in our Aboriginal communities about how to address serious health issues in a culturally appropriate way.”
The appointments were made by the AHS Executive Committee. Aboriginal Wisdom Council members have been appointed to two- and three-year terms. Term lengths were varied to stagger turnover and maintain experience among members.
Co-chairs will be determined by Council members following their inaugural two-day meeting, which ends today in Edmonton.
Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than 3.7 million adults and children living in Alberta. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.
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