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OHA Region 1 NW Sub-Region Aboriginal Health Care Conference

Presented by Ontario Hospital Association
Course code: DL 650
October 24, 2006 - October 26, 2006

Location: Valhalla Inn, 1 Valhalla Inn Road, Thunder Bay, Ontario

A dramatic shift is occurring in the demographics of Ontario’s Aboriginal population. Accompanying that shift there is a significant change in the health service needs of the communities served by Ontario’s healthcare providers. Improving Aboriginal health poses a significant challenge to providers throughout Ontario. A collective, community approach is required to tackle underlying causes and to develop a framework that provides appropriate education and care to Aboriginal peoples.

One year ago, the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) Region 1 Northwest Sub Region presented Integration Coordination and Collaboration: an Aboriginal Health Conference. The program brought together health care and thought leaders from across the region to address a range of issues and offer proactive solutions.

Building on last year’s success, we would like to invite you to this year’s Aboriginal Health Care Conference, taking place October 24 to 26, 2006, at the Valhalla Inn in Thunder Bay. In attendance will be health care providers from hospitals and health agencies across the province.

Once again, there will be a Feature Poster Display showcasing innovation and best practices in Aboriginal health care.

AGENDA

Tuesday, October 24, 2006 (Evening)

1800h Pre-registration at the Valhalla Inn

1900h Conference Opening Drumming Circle
- Spirit Wind Drum Circle, Thunder Bay
- Prayer
- Welcome to Fort William First Nation Traditional Lands - Chief Peter Collins

1930h Opening Keynote Address - Mayor Lawrence Martin, Cochrane, Ontario

Lawrence Martin is the Juno Award winning Mayor of Cochrane and former Mayor of Sioux Lookout. Mr. Martin is an active member of the community, working with the homeless shelter in Cochrane and the finance committees of Cochrane. He has also been a member of TVOntario Board of Directors and music festival organizing committees.

2030h Networking Reception and Poster Board Exhibition

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

0730h Registration and Continental Breakfast
Poster Board Exhibit Room

0815h Opening Drum Song - Thomas Fiddler

Welcome and Introductions - Chair: Roger Walker , President & Chief Executive Officer, Sioux Lookout Meno-Ya-Win Health Centre

Hilary Short, Chief Executive Officer, Ontario Hospital Association

0845h Keynote Address: Bringing Two World Views Together in Harmony and Balance through Design and Other Contextual Interventions - Douglas Cardinal, Architect

0945h Refreshment Break and Poster Exhibit

1000h Panel Discussion: Successful Collaborations in Telehealth - Moderator: Orpah McKenzie, Director, Aboriginal Affairs, Northern Ontario School of Medicine

Panel Members:

• Donna Williams, Program Manager, KO Telehealth
• Dr. Bob Lester, Executive Vice President, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
• Lisa Sarsfield, Vice President Central & Northern, Operations and Corporate Services, Ontario Telemedicine Network
• Roy Keesickquayash, Telehealth Co-ordinator, Cat Lake First Nation
• Elder Vernon Wesley, Oncology Client, Cat Lake First Nation

1200h Lunch in the Poster Exhibit Room

1300h Concurrent Sessions A

1. Bimadziwin Storytelling and Teachings
   1st circle: Facilitator – Andy White - The drum: Heartbeat of the nation
   2nd circle: Facilitator – Ralph Johnson - The seven grandfather teachings
   3rd circle: Facilitator – Annie Wilson - Teachings of the birth
   4th circle: Facilitator – Freida MacDonald - What family and community mean to the Anishnabe
    
2. North West LHIN – “A Strong System, Healthy People...A Solid Future”
   Gwen Dubois Wing, Chief Executive Officer, NW LHIN
    
3. Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority - Janet Gordon, Director, Health Services
    
4. Cultural Competency and Safety - Danielle Soucy, Senior Policy Analyst, NAHO 

1430h Refreshment Break and Poster Exhibit

1500h Concurrent Sessions B

1. Continuation of 1300h Bimadziwin Storytelling and Teachings
    
2. Community Based Health & Wellness Report - Doug Wilson, Director of Health, Metis Nation of Ontario
    
3. Ontario Hospital Success stories
   - Hospital for Sick Children - Dr. Jean Wittenberg
   - Flora Waswa, Healthy Babies Co-ordinator, Fort Hope First Nation
   - Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, Dr. Peter Menzies
   - Rosie Mosquito, Executive Director, Oshki Pimache O-Win Institute
4. Aboriginal Health Human Resources - Victoria Gubbels, Manager, Aboriginal Employment Development, Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations

1645h Closing Drum Song - Thomas Fiddler

1730h Reception

1830h Dinner & Entertainment - Don Burnstick, Comedian, Counselor and Story Teller

Don Burnstick is a Cree from the Alexander First Nation located outside of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Don's young life was very violent. “I lived on the streets of Edmonton as an alcoholic and drug addict. In 1985, when I sobered up at 21, there were not too many 21 year old males that were alcohol and drug free so I just started asking to go and tell my story.” Burnstick obtained post secondary training at the University of San Diego in holistic urban youth development. He also has obtained certification as an Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor and graduated from the Native Trainers Development program at the Nechi Institute in Edmonton. Don has now been involved within the healing/personal wellness movement for the past 20 years and has utilized humour and performance to provide a holistic approach to healing. His message speaks to a proud heritage, the importance of healing through humour and his continuing desire to leave a better world for our future generations. In addition to his healing work, Don has established himself as one of Canada’s best comedians of all time.

Thursday, October 26

0830h Continental Breakfast

0900h Opening Drum Song - Thomas Fiddler

0915h Opening Greetings - Howard Hampton, MPP Kenora-Rainy River and Leader of Ontario New Democratic Party

0930h General Session: “Aboriginal Health Status: Moving Forward”

• Al Garman, Director, Ontario Region, First Nations & Inuit Health Branch,
• Hanita Tiefenbach, Director, Intergovernmental & Aboriginal Policy Branch, Ministry of Health & Long-Term Care
• Assembly of First Nations speaker to be announced

1030h Refreshment Break

1045h Closing Speaker - Nishnawbe Aski Nation member of Executive Council to be announced

1145h Elders' Summary and Closing Comments - Josias Fiddler

Closing Remarks from the Chair - Roger Walker

Closing Prayer - Spirit Wind Drum Circle

1245h Adjournment
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Registration information: Space is not guaranteed, unless payment is received prior to the conference.

Conference Registration: $175.00 + $10.50 GST = $185.50

Conference Registration + Dinner & Entertainment:
$225.00 + $13.50 GST = $238.50

If more than one full registration is received from the same facility, a 15% discount (+ GST) will apply to the 2nd and each additional registration received. The first registrant must pay the full registration fee. All group registrations must be received at the same time. This discount is not valid with other program promotions.

Cancellation Policy

Once a registration is confirmed, all cancellations are subject to a $50 + GST cancellation fee and must be made a minimum of one week prior to the program date. After this time, the program fee is non-refundable. Substitutions are welcome. The Educational Services Division reserves the right to cancel or reschedule a program.

Hotel Accommodation

If you require accommodations, please contact the Valhalla Inn at 807-577-1121 or 1-800-964-1121. Please be sure to indicate that you are attending the OHA conference to secure a special room rate of $129.00 for single/double occupancy. Please be sure to make your hotel reservation before October 9, 2006 as accommodations for that time period are filling up fast.

Click here to register on-line

Contact for further information:
Nicole Vanderwyst
Educational Services, Ontario Hospital Association
200 Front Street West, Suite 2800
Toronto, Ontario M5V 3L1
Phone: (416) 205-1352
Fax: (416) 205-1340

The team from KO Telehealth attending the Canadian Society of Telehealth (http://www.cst-sct.org/en/index.php) were presented with two awards for their work in developing and delivering telehealth services in First Nations across the Sioux Lookout zone. All the First Nations and organizations partnering with KOTH to deliver services using the boardband network and the telehealth services are recognized in these two national awards of excellence. The two awards include:

• Digital Group of Telehealth Companies Award of Excellence for 2006 was represented to the Keewaytinook Okimakanak Telehealth team (see letter below)
• Best Research in Concurrent Sessions award was presented to John Hogenbirk, from Laurentian University, for his work with on the KO Telehealth evaluation.

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October 15, 2006

The Digital Group of Telehealth Companies Award of Excellence for 2006 is awarded to:

 Keewaytinook Okimakanak Telehealth (KOTH)

On behalf of the CST Awards Committee, I am pleased to announce that the successful recipient of the Digital Group of Telehealth Companies Award of Excellence for 2006 is Keewaytinook Okimakanak Telehealth (KOTH).

Thanks to the generous support of the Digital Group of Telehealth Companies, the award is granted to the recipient that best meets the eight criteria. The award will be presented at the CST Conference Annual Gala Dinner on Oct. 16, 2006 in Edmonton.

KOTH is Canada’s largest and busiest First Nations Telemedicine Service. Encompassing over 25 sites, KOTH has designed, implemented and refined a First Nations service model that supports and sustains telehealth services in Ontario’s most remote and northern communities. Working in partnership with the Ontario Telemedicine Network, Kuh-ke-nah Network (K-net) and the community, KOTH has developed a fully integrated service model that is accessible to provincial and federal health service providers.

 A recent evaluation completed by the Centre for Rural and Northern Health Research at Laurentian University and the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development at the University of Guelph validated the many benefits of KOTH. Most notably, the researchers recognized the development of an integrated community base model that is contributing to the health and wellbeing of First Nations by removing geographical barriers to health services.

KOTH’s ongoing development in the areas of expanded service delivery, innovative technology, research and best practices along with their commitment to quality patient care has made them a recognized leader in telehealth. On behalf of CST, we congratulate KOTH and wish them continued success. 

Sincerely,

Laurie Poole
President, CST

Keewaytinook Okimakanak Telehealth's capacity to continue to serve First Nations in the Sioux Lookout Health Zone and future opportunities for Aboriginal people to gain access to telehealth services in the province of Ontario has successfully demonstrated how comrprehensive telehealth can improve integrated access to health and wellness services on reserve, reduce health service worker and professional isolation and reduce patient and system travel burden. Our partnerships with Ontario First Nations, Health Canada and the Ontario Telehealth Network have supported the growth of our network from five pilot sites in  2002 to 25 sites in 2006.

Now entering our fifth year of operation, KO Telehealth faces the on-going challenge of securing program funding. Independent evaluations in 2001 (Telesychiatry Pilot), 2003 (CHIPP) and most recently in  2006 (PHCTF), demonstrates KO Telehealth's capacity to make more effective use of existing health and human resources. The findings of the most recent evaluation completed in March 2006 by the Centre for Rural and Northern Health Research and the University of Guelph suggests that.... the Expansion Project has successfully improved access. The program has the ability to reach the economic breakeven point based soley on averted travel. Ohter benefits, not included in the model could push the program beyond the breakeven point. Feedback from numerous stakeholders spoke of the many improvements in access and the potential to improve health.

The purpose of the 12 – 13 September meetings is to share with stakeholders current and planned evaluatory and research activities that will impact future delivery of regional and province-wide telehealth service development and to use this opportunity to connect principals involved in these evaluation and research activities with community, provider and policy stakeholders. Specifically, the gathering will address the capacity of telehealth services to remove longstanding barriers and support Aboriginal and First Nations health policy objectives, its ability to make more effective use of health human resources and how evaluation and research will attend to First Nation and Inuit Health Branch requirements to show medical transportation savings. This workshop also provides participants with an opportunity to understand what is necessary to sustain telehealth in remote and northern places -- such as the Sioux Lookout Health Zone – and what might be required to extend this service model to rural and near-urban Aboriginal settings in Ontario.

We are inviting representatives from the Community Health Directors Advisory Committee, Telehealth Elders Committee, Chiefs Committee on Health, Tribal Council Health Directors, KO Evaluation Team, Sioux Lookout First Nation Health Authority, Health Canada, Canada Health Infoway, Ontario Ministry of Health, the Ontario Telehealth Network, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Assembly of First Nations, Chiefs of Ontario and Nishnawbe Aski Nation to attend the meeting. KOTH is dedicated to improving health for all First Nations communities through a sustainable First Nations Telehealth program that is holistic, community driven and culturally appropriate.

"Gii-Kaan-Don" (Aboriginal Know-How) : Balancing Culture and Technology - Bridging the Health and Wellness needs of First Nation Communities through Telehealth

Date: June 14-15, 2006

Location: In person (University of Toronto School of Information Technology) & Online (live video feed & online discussions).  

Online Registration and Pre-Conference Discussion - visit http://meeting.knet.ca and follow the directions to join the Conference web site. For assistance with the registration or participation, call or write Wesley McKay toll-free at 877-737-KNET (5638) or wesleymckay@knet.ca.

Presented by Chiefs of Ontario (COO - http://chiefs-of-ontario.org) and the Keewaytinook Okimakanak Research Institute(KORI - http://research.knet.ca)

Chiefs of Ontario (COO) and Keewaytinook Okimakanak (KO) are pleased to present to you with the opportunity to learn more about First Nations Telehealth in Canada and to share your thoughts, concerns and ideas about what role telehealth can play in promoting the health and wellness of First Nations communities. The workshop takes place in a face-to-face gathering in Toronto and on-line June 14-15, 2006. It will provide participants with a detailed briefing on the state of First Nations telehealth in Canada with specific emphasis on the various telehealth models employed by First Nations communities and Aboriginal organizations.

This workshop is part of a regional consultation by the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) designed to gather grassroots feedback as the first step towards creating a national policy framework for First Nations telehealth in Canada.

Funding for this workshop is being provided by Health Canada and Canada Health Infoway (CHI).

The workshop will be conducted face-to-face in Toronto, via video conference and webcast technologies by First Nations Telehealth experts throughout Ontario and across Canada.

The workshop will be archived and made available from the website http://www.meeting.knet.ca

What: The Sharing the Knowledge about First Nations Telehealth workshop will be conducted through face-to-face encounters in Toronto, through videoconference and online (webcast) technologies for the leadership, Directors of Health, CHRs, Community Telehealth Coordinators (CTCs) and other community-based health and wellness champions at the local and regional level who want to learn more about telehealth and to share their ideas about the needs and potential uses of telehealth for First Nations in Ontario as part of a regional consultation being conducted by the Assembly of First Nations.

When: June 14 - 15, 2006, live presentations will take place starting at 09:00 am Eastern Standard Time. Presentations will also be archived and available for viewing at any time from http://www.meeting.knet.ca

Where: Live workshops will be conducted through videoconference and webcast technologies. Archived versions of the presentations can be accessed through the K-Net Meeting area http://www.meeting.knet.ca

Who: Presentations will be conducted by experts and community-based practitioners from across Ontario. Health workers and community members are all welcomed to participate as online participants.

“Saving Lives, Restoring Hope” Suicide Prevention Banner project celebrates community artistry and dedicates banners to continued suicide prevention.

Click here to view pictures of the banners.

The “Saving Lives, Restoring Hope” Banner project built relationships between community youth, elders, and health staff as they planned and painted together.  Art has long been a means of expressing thoughts and feelings.  This project addressed issues of suicide prevention and elimination through artistic expression.  The theme “Saving Lives, Restoring hope” is the ultimate goal.  The project was community-based therefore, the way the project was conducted in each community varied.  Some communities offered prizes, while others had special speakers, rallies, and walks concurrently during the banner painting.  Regional prizes were offered to youth and adults who emailed digital pictures for competition.  See the variety of posters below.  All posters belong to the communities and are a reminder of the goal “Saving Lives, Restoring Hope”.  You may find these banners stitched together in the nursing station, band office, health office, Northern Store or youth centre in your community.  The stitched banners symbolize the bond between all people in the community as they “Save Lives, Restore Hope”.

This has been a collaborative effort.  We thank Nishnawbe Aski Nation for funding the project.  We thank the following donors who have given regional prizes for this project:

KiHS, KO Home & Community Care Program, KO Mental Health  Program, KO Telehealth, KO Tobacco Intervention Program, K-Net - SchoolNet initiative, The Source – Red Lake, Wasaya, Wawatay.

from KO Telehealth web site at http://telehealth.knet.ca

KO Telehealth is pleased to make the Final Telehealth Evaluation Report available to partners and stakeholders. Key messages from the Final Report are summarized in the areas of Access, Acceptability, Integration, Quality and Financial Impact.

“Our lives have been completely changed by the services we now receive over the network. Having telehealth care and also having secondary education services available in our communities is making us stronger as a people.”

- Geordi Kakepetum, Executive Director

KOTH_NORTH Network Expansion Project - Evaluation Final Report 31-March-2006 - PDF - 49 pages

Appendix 1 Evaluation Framework - PDF - 17 pages

Appendix 2 Evaluation Manual - PDF - 51 pages

Appendix 3 Economic Model - PDF - 51 pages

Appendix 4 Figures and Tables - PDF - 18 pages

Appendix 5 Focus Groups and Interviews - PDF - 74 pages

from News and Updates at http://telehealth.knet.ca

Telehealth Community Engagement 
Posted by: Tina Kakepetum Schultz on Wednesday, April 12

My name is Tina Kakepetum Schultz. I have been recently hired as the KO Telehealth Community Engagement Worker.

One of my job requirements is to work with the First Nations that are connected to Telehealth on the Kuhkenah Network (K-Net). My first task was to meet with the 24 Chiefs and Council from each of these communities.

The Health Canada Primary Care Health Transition program funding that supported the KO Telehealth program ended March 31, 2006. FNIHB announced they will extend the program by an additional four months (April - July) providing bridge funding for the existing telehealth services. The next two years of funding was presented as an interim step towards developing a longer term telehealth sustainability strategy under the  First Nations Health Blueprint negotiated in Kelowna.

KO Telehealth was given two tasks to complete within the first four months of this two year interim funding period:

1. KOTH has to obtain 24 signed agreements (BCRs) from Chiefs and Councils of each partner KOTH First Nation supporting reinvestment of travel costs savings into sustaining Telehealth.
2. Build a sustainability business case for Telehealth.

If the work of obtaining the BCRs from all the First Nations is successful, then FNIHB will support an additional 20 months of funding to build a sustainability plan for Telehealth.

Since February 24, 2006, I have met with 20 First Nations to discuss future sustainability funding for Telehealth.

I would like to say thank you to the Chiefs and Councils who have made a commitment to support the ongoing operation of the KO Telehealth initiative. The following First Nations are commited to providing BCRs supporting this program:

• Bearskin Lake
• Big Trout Lake
• Cat Lake Lake
• Deer Lake
• Eabametoong
• Fort Severn
• Kasabonika
• Kingfisher
• Lac Seul
• Mishkeegogamang
• Muskrat Dam
• Neskantaga
• North Caribou Lake
• North Spirit Lake
• Pikangikum
• Poplar Hill
• Sachigo Lake
• Sandy Lake
• Webequie
• Wunnimun Lake

I will be meeting with Slate Falls, Keewaywin, Nibinamik and Wapakeka First Nations over the next two weeks.

I would like to thank each of the Chief and Council for the kindness and hospitality they showed to me during our video conference meetings as well as receiving me into their communities. I look forward to working closely  with each community in the coming years. 

MiiQuetch!!!

from http://telehealth.knet.ca

National Telehealth Working Group Meets to Discuss Telehealth Strategy

The Assembly of First Nations have identified Telehealth as a tool that can be utilized to address quality of life issues for First Nations people. 

At the National Telehealth Strategy meeting held in Ottawa March 22 and 23, First Nations involved in Telehealth programs from across the country met to discuss how to support the AFN in delivering this message to governments and communities. 

The importance of validating Telehealth's health benefits is required to ensure long term funding and sustainability of Telehealth programs.  Priorites identified for research include:  How is Telehealth impacting wait times?  How is Telehealth impacting social outcomes and determinants of health issues?  Quality of life issues as well as access and equity were discussed as health needs that are directly addressed through community based, First Nations directed Telehealth Programs. 

KOTH presented an overview of the communtiy based model and told the stories of how the region is utilizing Telehealth to address disparities in health access for First Nations communities.

Future Initiatives include:

• Identify role for FNIHB, Province in sustaining Telehealth
• Develop Governance models for Telehealth (as opposed to having these parameters defined for us)
• Engaging provinces a priority – each province has an E Health strategy that looks at connectivity, e health and Telehealth - ensure First Nations included in these plans
• Facilitate National Implementation and Sustainability plan for Telehealth
• Identify research priorities to support sustainability

George Ferreira was contracted to video tape and produce a short production about that documented how the folks involved with the Keewaytinook Okimakanak Telehealth initiative feel about the evaluation process for this project. Cal Kenny, KO's Multi-media Producer, created a web page for some of the video material that was recorded by George.

Visit http://telehealth.knet.ca/perspectives.html to see George's initial draft production along with several clips from Dr. Joe Dooley and Garnet Angeconeb as they talk about telehealth and what they think it means to themselves as well as the folks in the north.

On Wednesday, Feb 8 representatives from Health Canada's First Nation and Inuit Health Branch (FNIHB) met in Balmertown with representatives from Keewaytinook Okimakanak, the KO Telehealth team, Assembly of First Nations and Nishnawbe Aski Nation. Joining the meeting by video were:

• Dr. Valerie Gideon and Eugene Nicholas from AFN in Ottawa,
• Dr. Ed Brown from NORTH Network in Toronto,
• Miriam Johnston from the Aboriginal Healing and Wellness Strategy in Toronto,
• Al Garman, Richard Leikkari and Mark Lavigne from FNIHB in Ottawa
• Dr. John Hogenbirk, Laurentian U in Sudbury (and a grad student)
• Dr. Ricardo Ramirez and Andres Ibanez at Guelph U
• Sandy Lake Telehealth and Health Services team for a demonstration
• Brian Beaton, K-Net Services in Sioux Lookout.

The full day meeting quickly became a discussion about the development and sustainability of the KO Telehealth service when FNIHB announced a four month bridge funding strategy to continue the existing services. The KOTH team will be meeting with their First Nation partners and the leadership over the next few months to determine their support for the continued operation of the KO Telehealth service.

It is still hoped that the new government will support the Aboriginal health blueprint introduced in Kelowna through the creation of a new program to fund telehealth services.

Click here to check out the pictures from this meeting.