Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) has launched a new initiative called Honouring Indigenous Identity in Healthcare, an important step forward in supporting visibility, access and healing for Indigenous patients.
From now on, all patients who register at RVH will now be asked if they wish to self-identify as Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, or Inuit) and if they would like to be referred to the Indigenous Patient Services (IPS) team. This change is not just about new questions at registration, it is about honouring identity, building stronger relationships, and enabling culturally appropriate care.
“As the largest healthcare centre in the region, it is our responsibility to change the way Indigenous people receive and perceive care, by building trust, addressing barriers to care, and improving health outcomes through culturally safer practices that respect the dignity and traditions of all people who walk through our doors,” said RVH President and CEO Gail Hunt.
To prepare for the launch, the IPS team developed and led thoughtful, in-person training sessions with patient service and registration clerks to help them better understand the importance of honouring identity, and to build their confidence and knowledge to answer patient questions with respect, clarity and kindness. It is our intention to bring these powerful training opportunities to more staff across the hospital over the coming months.
Honouring Indigenous Identity in Healthcare is one step of many towards reconciliation that RVH is purposefully taking. In particular, this initiative addresses two of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s health-related Calls to Action: #19 which calls upon the Canadian government, in consultation with Indigenous peoples, to establish measurable goals to identify and close the gaps in health outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities and #22 which calls upon those who can effect change within the Canadian healthcare system to recognize the value of Indigenous healing practices and use them in the treatment of Indigenous patients.
“RVH cannot advance its bold vision for expanded and equitable healthcare in the region—or fulfil its purpose of Making life better, with the care you need, close to home—without working alongside partners like the Indigenous Health Circle (IHC) to ensure Indigenous patients receive the respect, understanding, and care they deserve,” said Hunt.
