A new briefing note released by Northern Policy Institute, Health Care Priorities in Northern Ontario Aboriginal Communities, emphasizes how improved access and integration of culturally safe services can tackle the serious health care disparities that continue to exist in the north.
Based on their findings, the authors make several other proposals to improve health care services in isolated Indigenous communities in Northern Ontario:
- Build upon Ontario’s existing culturally safe primary care models and expand into remote locations;
- Enhance communication and coordination between aboriginal and non-indigenous agencies and;
- Streamline access to integrated electronic medical records (EMRs) for interdisciplinary health care providers;
- Expand Aboriginal Health Care Access Centres (AHACs) and;
- Plan and establish funding models to support the infrastructure providing cultural competence training, restructured FHTs, and access to EMRs.