Indigenous Women’s Health team photo: Jenny Morgan, shown as the third on the right.

By Alison Sinkewicz
@alisonsi

“Nothing about us, without us” is a mantra central to the care given at the Indigenous Health clinic at BC Women’s Hospital & Health Centre.

Spearheading the intitivates of care for Indigenous women and families at the centre is Director of Indigenous Health, Women and Families, Jenny Morgan.

The Vancouver hospital, committed to the healthcare of women, serves women across the province, and appointed Morgan as the director of Indigenous Health three years ago.

“The focus was to oversee the existinging health programs, but to more broadly, to serve as an advisor to the executive leaders on how to better address and serve the needs of Indigenous women,” explains Morgan, who is currently completing her Doctorate in Education.

Providing holistic and community-based care, the centre offers three main Indigenous cultural support services: Indigenous Patient Liaisons, Elder Services, Ask Auntie (a youth wellness program) and a Complex Care Team. Patient liaisons provide support to patients, advocating for their health as well as answering questions that arise during a patient’s stay.

“They work closely with our elder services so we do have an emphasis on spiritual and cultural support while they’re here because often times they are in a very stressful or crisis situation that [is] unexpected or unplanned,” explains Morgan.

Working hand-in-hand with their patients, the program recently added another service focused on the aftercare of patients, particularly as they re-enter their communities from the hospital.

“The Complex Care program is focused on the support of families who have very complex health and social needs, or who have a very complicated discharge plan. So, we have a small team here that will stay connected with them when they’re back in their community,” says Morgan.

Broadening from focusing on the physical and practical needs of women, the program aims to address the holistic needs of wellness, and how that wellness pertains to Indigenous communities. One of the pillars of cultural support is the belief that everything is connected–how social, economic, and spiritual wellbeing impacts the physical health of patients.

“We know that for Indigenous families the spiritual component is really important, just within relationships and building relationships,” says Morgan.

“We know that the spiritual component is important to the holistic approach that we always want to emphasize when working with our families.”

In addition the services offered, the centre also hosts an outdoor sacred space dedicated to providing a place for healing ceremonies and other spiritual practices.

As health and wellness are increasingly becoming industrialized and commodified concepts, these sacred Indigenous spiritual practises are often appropriated. For Morgan, the use of these spiritual health services are of value, yet only when given the proper inclusion.

“I do see the need to promote health and wellness with Indigenous knowledge but it has to be based on relationships with those communities,” she explains.

“The connection of where that knowledge comes from before sharing it and ensuring that we are following protocols and understanding that this is sacred knowledge. So that’s why we do what we can when working with elders and communities, always stressing trusting relationships and reciprocal relationships so it’s not just us taking that knowledge but that were always giving something back to whom were working with.”

In serving Indigenous women and communities, there are significant hurdles to not only the access of care but the quality as well. When addressing the health of women, social inequalities are of particular concern.

“A big part of the picture that is missed is the social determinants of health,” says Morgan.

“Everything that is out in the communities, the systems, and a lot of the systemic racism that Indigenous people encounter.”

Responding to these issues, in an integrated way, helps mitigate some of the barriers to healthcare often faced by Indigenous peoples.

“When we do see people and families come into the hospital with some dire conditions, we have a better understanding of where they are coming from and what are some of social issues that they are facing that are leading to some of the health issues we see when they come through our doors here,” explains Morgan.

In moving forward in women’s health, ensuring that no woman or community is left underserved or underrepresented is central to the care of all women. Programs such as the one lead by BC Women’s and Morgan ensure that in the pursuit of health, there is healing.

Alison Sinkewicz is a writer and curator based in Vancouver, BC but from Vancouver, WA. Her words can be found in VICE, Pitchfork’s October, Dwell Magazine, Nuvo Magazine, Canadian Art, and emails to her mom, Debra.