Dynamic conversations and creating a culture of kindness

Since my last blog, I’ve met an incredible number of new people. I had the honour of meeting NOSM’s Indigenous Reference Group (IRG) and Ogichidaang Gagiigatiziwin — NOSM’s Circle of Elders and Traditional Knowledge Keepers — on July 19. I’d like to extend my gratitude to the IRG and the Elders for the Welcome Ceremony and the Eagle Feather that they gifted me. As well, I met with Monique Rocheleau, Chair of the Francophone Reference Group on July 9. I shall cherish the trust and kinship that these meetings generated for us all.

We were fortunate to host a meeting in Sudbury at our School with the Federal Minister of Health, the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, and MPs Paul Lefebvre and Marc Serré last week. We discussed NOSM’s unique social accountability mandate and our potential to push that mandate to the next level. We talked about barriers to equitable access to care, the disparity between rural versus urban health care, the greater opportunities for Federal support and partnership, critical health human resource issues, health-care delivery issues and building capacity. I’m happy to say that our messages were direct, clear and were heard. NOSM is positioned to be a resource to the Federal government in solutions to health human resource planning, policy in social determinants of health, addictions and Indigenous and Francophone health.

Read more in the latest issue of Northern Routes.