{"id":77430,"date":"2025-10-07T08:00:21","date_gmt":"2025-10-07T12:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/?p=77430"},"modified":"2025-10-07T07:54:22","modified_gmt":"2025-10-07T11:54:22","slug":"new-indigenous-system-navigation-service-to-support-indigenous-patients-and-families-in-hospital","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/07\/new-indigenous-system-navigation-service-to-support-indigenous-patients-and-families-in-hospital\/","title":{"rendered":"New Indigenous System Navigation Service to Support Indigenous Patients and Families in Hospital"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_77432\" style=\"width: 610px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Screenshot-2025-10-07-at-07.45.30.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-77432\" class=\"size-large wp-image-77432\" src=\"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Screenshot-2025-10-07-at-07.45.30-600x284.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"284\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Screenshot-2025-10-07-at-07.45.30-600x284.png 600w, https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Screenshot-2025-10-07-at-07.45.30-300x142.png 300w, https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Screenshot-2025-10-07-at-07.45.30-768x364.png 768w, https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Screenshot-2025-10-07-at-07.45.30.png 1284w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-77432\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">1. Angela Fletcher, RPN Client Care Coordinator, MNSCHS \u2013 Northern Clinic, 2. Robin Greer, B.Sc.(Nutr), RD, CDE, Chapleau Health Services, 3. Tracy Martel, Medical Radiation Technologist\/Diagnostic Medical Sonographer, 4. Natasha Comte, Co-CEO, Chief Financial Officer &amp; Director of Corporate Services, 5. Irene Armstrong, Integrated Care Manager, MNSCHS \u2013 Northern Clinic, 6. Marie-\u00c8ve Guitard, Executive Assistant, Chapleau Health Services, 7. Chelsea Blackned, Indigenous System Navigator, Maamwesying North Shore Community Health Services, 8. Melissa McCabe, Executive Assistant of Home and Community Care, Maamwesying North Shore, Community Health Services, 9. Christine Stoycheff, Client Care Coordinator, Maamwesying North Shore Community Health Services \u2013 Northern Clinic, and 10. Jacqueline Tangie-Roy, Cultural and Wellness Worker, Maamwesying North Shore Community Health Services \u2013 Northern Clinic<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Maamwesying North Shore Community Health Services (MNSCHS) Northern Clinic marked the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation with the announcement of a new Indigenous System Navigator (ISN) service. This initiative will provide dedicated support to Indigenous patients and families as they navigate the health care system when admitted to hospital.<\/p>\n<p>The Navigator role will be embedded in Services de sant\u00e9 Chapleau Health Services and Lady Dunn Health Centre, in partnership with both hospitals. Together, they will support members and residents of First Nations communities in the Chapleau and Wawa areas (listed below). The goal is to ensure culturally safe, respectful, and supportive care experiences for Indigenous Peoples.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who can Access the Service?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Indigenous System Navigator service is available to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Indigenous individuals and families who are members of the four First Nations communities in the<br \/>\nChapleau and Wawa areas \u2013 Chapleau Ojibwe First Nation, Chapleau Cree First Nation,<br \/>\nBrunswick House First Nation, and Michipicoten First Nation, whether they live within their<br \/>\ncommunity or outside of it.<\/li>\n<li>Urban Indigenous individuals and their immediate household members.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Indigenous Self-Identification at the Core<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The new Indigenous System Navigator, Chelsea Blackned, will be embedded in both hospitals, with referrals beginning this fall. As this is a new service, implementation will be phased in, with full integration expected by early 2026.<\/p>\n<p>The service is offered to patients who respond \u201cyes\u201d to the Voluntary Indigenous Self-Identification question which is asked at the time of hospital registration: \u201cDo you identify as First Nations, Inuit, or M\u00e9tis?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Patients who self-identify and consent will be referred to the Navigator, who will reach out to offer support during their hospital stay.<\/p>\n<p>The new service at Lady Dunn Health Centre and Services de sant\u00e9 Chapleau Health Services is built<br \/>\nupon the many years of experience integrating within our existing partner hospitals. The ISN service has<br \/>\nbeen operating in Maamwesying partner hospitals since 2010, including Sault Area Hospital, North Shore<br \/>\nHealth Network, St. Joseph\u2019s General Hospital Elliot Lake, Espanola Regional Hospital and Health Centre,<br \/>\nand Health Sciences North. This strong foundation means we are not starting from scratch, but rather<br \/>\nfrom experience, and therefore expanding a well-established service model that has already<br \/>\ndemonstrated success.<br \/>\nNavigators play an essential role in ensuring Indigenous patients are supported, respected, and are<br \/>\nconnected to community services to ensure a smooth transition from hospital to home.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Leadership Voices<\/strong><br \/>\n\u201cMany Indigenous people still do not feel safe in the hospital. For those who have experienced racism,<br \/>\ndiscrimination, or generational trauma, it can trigger fear and anxiety. The expansion of the program to<br \/>\ninclude our northern community partners enhances our ability to ensure each person feels secure, with<br \/>\ntheir culture, values, and needs honoured,\u201d says Carol Eshkakogan, Chief Executive Officer of<br \/>\nMaamwesying North Shore Community Health Services.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe word Maamwesying means \u2018the act of working as one\u2019 in Ojibway, and we will strive to work together<br \/>\nto build the inclusive future we envision\u2014where Indigenous people feel valued, where their traditions and<br \/>\nperspectives are honoured, and systemic barriers are addressed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Lady Dunn Health Centre is working to create a care environment that supports culture and<br \/>\ntradition; we want to be an active participant in addressing health equity challenges that will improve<br \/>\nhealth outcomes for Indigenous people. We value the partnership with Maamwesying in launching the<br \/>\nIndigenous System Navigator (ISN) service which is one that will assist us in providing inclusive and<br \/>\nculturally safe care,\u201d says Kadean O\u2019Gilvie, Chief Executive Officer of the Lady Dunn Health Centre.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSSCHS is honoured to partner with Maamwesying North Shore Community Health Services in launching<br \/>\nthe Indigenous System Navigator program,\u201d say Services de sant\u00e9 Chapleau Health Services Co-<br \/>\nCEOs, Jamie Fiaschetti and Natasha Comte. \u201cThis initiative is a deeply meaningful and much-needed<br \/>\nstep toward ensuring culturally safe and respectful care for Indigenous patients and families in our<br \/>\nhospital. We are excited to welcome Chelsea Blackned into this vital role and look forward to the positive<br \/>\nimpact her presence will have on the patient experience. This partnership reflects our ongoing<br \/>\ncommitment to reconciliation, equity, and building stronger relationships with Indigenous communities.<br \/>\nWe are grateful for the opportunity to work together in creating a more inclusive and compassionate<br \/>\nhealth care environment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Building an Inclusive Future<\/strong><br \/>\nThis service expansion represents an important step toward ensuring equitable and culturally responsive<br \/>\nhealth care for Indigenous Peoples, while strengthening partnerships between hospitals and First<br \/>\nNations communities in the region.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Maamwesying North Shore Community Health Services (MNSCHS) Northern Clinic marked the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation with the announcement of a new Indigenous System Navigator (ISN) service. This initiative &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[63],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-77430","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-15 08:32:00","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77430","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=77430"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77430\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":77433,"href":"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77430\/revisions\/77433"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=77430"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=77430"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=77430"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}