Health Navigators
- Judy Bird | November 26, 2014
Aboriginal patients in Saskatoon hospitals
have dedicated people to help them navigate the complex and often confusing
health care system.
Saskatoon Health Region has implemented a
First Nations and Metis Health Services program, and has two health navigators
to assist Aboriginal patients.
The health navigators work with the patient,
elders, cultural advisors and other health region staff to identify barriers
that impact the patient’s health outcome. Barriers often include
language, health region staff not recognizing cultural beliefs, or the patient
does not ask for assistance. Whatever the reason, the health navigators are
there to help the patient and family break through those barriers and let them
know that they are not alone.
“Often patients
don’t speak English or very little English, so we do a lot of the
translation,” said
Delia Allberg, one of the health navigators. Allberg is fluent in Dene, and her
coworker, Valerie Bradfield, speaks and understands Cree.
The navigators are located in St. Paul’s
Hospital, and each day, they visit new patients there to introduce themselves,
and see what they can do to help. Allberg also assists patients with Dene
language translation at Royal University Hospital (RUH).
They advocate for patients and families that
require their support, including connecting with social workers from the
different hospitals, contacting communities, First Nations bands, health
clinics, and support for the Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) program through
First Nations Inuit Health.
“They
come in for program support for meals, accommodations, taxi fares back and
forth to the hotels. If they qualify to be an escort then we advocate for them
to NIHB,” Allberg
added.
As well as caring for physical needs, the
program also has a cultural component to assist patients with spiritual needs.
“We
have a traditional smudge every Thursday. Lots of people inquire about that for
the patients, or ask about spiritual care,” explained Allberg.
“We
advocate for them to practice their own cultural and spiritual beliefs,” said Bradfield,
who is a Registered Nurse and Certified Diabetes Educator, and a traditional
bundle keeper. She is not a medicine person but received four years of training
on traditional medicine and protocol.
“A
lot of times I work with the doctors and nurses and explain to them about the
importance of culture. I explain that it’s different for all our communities, and
that it’s not the same for everyone. I bring them to the side and just let them
know in a good way, to better understand the patient’s
perspective. I try to bring the health care perspective as well as the
traditional focus so the patient can have that voice,” Bradfield said.
Bradfield has shared teachings with ICU
staff at St. Paul’s and RUH on traditional medicine in a
presentation titled Reawakening the Memory.
“It’s
about allowing people to be more self aware of their own experience and how we
can better support our own First Nations and Metis patients and families who
practice those cultural ways,”
she said.
Their work has made a difference.
“It’s
really been beneficial to visit the patients on the ward. They’re
very happy to have a program like this, especially when they come through NIHB.
Folks coming from so far north who maybe don’t
have much money, we can support and advocate for them that way and get them
support. They’re really grateful for that. It makes it a
little bit easier,” said
Allberg.
“It’s just a little thing that we’re doing for them but for the patient or family, it’s a huge thing and it makes a huge difference for them just to know where to go and what service to access,” said Bradfield.
Click here to read more community health stories...