Health Division

• To ensure that Norway House Cree Nation members enjoy a healthy and safe life that is enriched by strong cultures, respect and equity.
• To join Norway House community members together for the common interest of improving our health and social status through access to safe and timely care and treatment.
• To ensure effective and financially sustainable health services by adopting better coordination, integration, access to financial resources that are geared to equitable health outcomes.
• To improve health status of NHCN members through community controlled, governed and administered health and social services.
• To support and empower the individual and family members to be responsible for attaining and maintaining an optimal level of physical, emotional, social, mental and spiritual health lifestyle practices.
• To promote and ensure community progress, harmony and quality of life among our people by protecting against violations to our integrity, treaty rights and freedoms of self-determination.

The administration and supervision of the following service delivery programs and initiatives to ensure the mission of the health division is strived for:

Public Health

Public Health Mandatory Programs

• Communicable Disease Control
• Tuberculosis Management
• Sexually Transmitted infections (STI’s) Management
• Immunization
• Prenatal and Postnatal Care
• Environmental Health
• Liaison Services – Referrals

Other Programs

• Non-insured Health Benefits
• Supplies (i.e. home oxygen, incontinent products, etc.)
• Aides (i.e. wheelchair, walkers, commodes, etc.)
• Assisting with Optometrist and Audiologist

Communicable Disease Control

Goal:

To control the spread of communicable disease where possible and reduce the incidence of morbidity and mortality associated with all communicable diseases.

Objectives:

• To control the spread of communicable disease in the population when outbreak occurs
• To reduce the incidence of tuberculosis.
• To reduce the incidences of Sexually Transmitted Infections including HIV
• To reduce the incidence of all vaccine preventable diseases.

Reference from Community Health Nursing Manual, CHNM

TB Monitoring and Control

Objectives:

• To Screen individuals at risk for TB infection, educate on treatment options, link with appropriate testing and follow up and minimize the progression to TB diseases
• To ensure individuals with TB disease are identified, assessed and offered treatment consistent with program guidelines.

Reference from Community Health Nursing Manual, CHNM

Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI’s)

Objectives:

• To Screen individuals at risk for STI and link with appropriate testing and follow up to reduce morbidity and minimize the spread to others in the community.
• To ensure individuals with an STI are identified, assessed and offered treatment consistent with program guidelines.

Reference from Community Health Nursing Manual, CHNM

Immunizations

We immunize all community members from babies, children, teens, adults to elders.  There are many vaccines offered to each age group which included the following:

Babies:

• Pediacal
• Prevnar 13
• Quadracel
• Measles, mumps, Rubella, (MMR)
• Varicella
• Menjugate

Children:

• (MMR)
• Varicella
• Menjugate
• Hepatitis B
• Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Vaccine

Teens:

• Tetanus
• Diphtheria
• Pertussis

Adults:

• Tatanus
• Diphtheria
• Influenza

Elders:

• Tetanus
• Diphtheria
• Influenza
• Pneumococcal

Prenatal & Postnatal Care

Goal:

Enable maternal and newborn population and their families to achieve and maintain an optimal level of health and early adjustment to parenting. We can follow up with care to parents and children following the immunization schedule.

Objectives:

• To reduce morbidity and mortality associated with childbearing in maternal newborn population.
• To increase the practice of lifestyle behaviors conducive to healthy pregnancy in women of child bearing age.
• To increase the number of women and men who are healthy before pregnancy.

Reference from Community Health Nursing Manual, CHNM

Environmental Health

Goal:

• Healthy environments for First Nation People and Communities

Objective:

• To assist in reducing environmental health risks/hazards
• To assist with identifying, monitoring and mitigating health problems that result from the environment.
• To reduce and raise awareness with individuals, families groups, communities of environmental health risks/hazards
• Reference from Community Health Nursing Manual, CHNM

Program Mandate

The overall vision for the Norway House Community Clinic is to improve equality of access to health for all residents of Norway House, providing access to primary and family medical physicians, in community specialist services, including palliative care. To provide regular, comprehensive and individualized health checks with appropriate treatment and follow up in appropriate time. We strive to create an environment for our clients that will empower them and encourages positive thought, to promote physical, emotional, mental and spiritual wellbeing.

The goals of the Norway House Cree Nation Community Clinic are:

• To develop a community health action plans which help people become more involved in taking care of themselves, involving their family care givers and/or support enabling them to take better care of their health needs.
• To promote better health outcomes, and better involvement in health care, for Norway House residents by improving access to health promotion and improvement programs such as health screening, physical activity, weight management, diabetic management and smoking cessation.
• Develop a multidisciplinary team approach and share with other health care professional, a local strategy for delivering the service, including gaining input from all service users into the content of the strategy. This strategy should be developed in association with Partnership Boards such Palliative team, Grand Patient Rounds, Safety team, etc.
• Nominate a lead clinician in general practice that may be supported by a health facilitator or other primary care professional.
• Develop a systematic process for recalling patients with frequency according to test results and the individual’s needs.
• Optimal goal is to reduce the need for hospitalization or length of stay in hospital by providing better and more coordinated care.

Mandate

Objective: Tele-health is the use of information and communication technology to link people to health care expertise at a distance. Users are able to see, hear and talk to the person at the distant site in real time. It enables those living in rural and northern areas to receive healthcare services while remaining in their home community. Tele-health also encompass health related education programs and administrative support.

• This is a great asset for patients who do not want to travel to receive access to specialized services. It will save time, money and risks associated with travel while having access to care while remaining close to family, friends and community supports.
• For our community and health care professionals it provides access to continuing education reducing administrative costs related to travel. For the most part majority of the patients have been compliant with appointments and we have heard a lot of positive feedback.

Objectives

• The Medical Social Workers to create educational awareness in the area of mental health issues in the community.
• Continue to utilize services of the visiting psychiatrist.
• The Medical Social Workers to plan a Community Mental Health Workshop
• Advocacy for support in safe housing our mental health clients in our own community
• Advocate for a Proctor Program to assist our mental health clients
• Continue to research mental health illness and why we continue to see the increase in our community.
• Continue to provide psycho education as required by our clients clinically/traditionally

Medical Social Workers provide the following services for the community of Norway House:

• Health/social assessments
• Hospital and community programs
• Referrals
• Follow-up with patients
• Liaison for the community.
• Referrals come from the patient, Physician, Delegated nurses, RCMP, Probation Services, Community Wellness workers and the patient’s family.
• Consultants visit clinical psychologist
• Crisis interventions
• Tele-health assessment

Belief

The Home and Community Care Program is delivered on-reserve and is founded on the belief that each individual is a special and valued member of their family and of our community.

Respecting the unique nature of each individual and family, the program will preserve independence within the home environment by contributing health and support services to clients and their families.

The program intends to enhance the care and support given by family members and not to remove or absolve a family of those responsibilities, which are reasonably theirs to provide.

Program Mandate

To ensure that Norway House Cree Nation band members receive optimum care in their home and community for as long as possible through the provision of home care services, which may include Nursing, Personal Care and/or Homemaking tasks based on assessed impartial nursing needs.

The program will assist NHCN members living with chronic, acute illnesses and/or mental health issues in maintaining optimum health, well-being and independence, in their homes and communities.

Involve clients and their families in clients’ care plan

Build on the service capacity within our community to deliver home and community care services through training and evolving technology and the development and implementation of information systems that enables program monitoring, research, defining best practices and evaluation.

Activities and Services

• Individual Client Assessments and Case Planning and Monitoring
• Provide services In Home Nursing Care, Personal Care, Homemaker Services, and access to services for medical equipment and supplies

Mandate

Utilizing a holistic approach the Community Wellness Program provides effective, caring and consistent services to promote emotional, physical, social and personal development and wellbeing to persons struggling with addictions and other social and mental health issues.

Objectives/Goals

• Provide holistic healing services
• Provide information, awareness and education on social issues such as:
  • Substance and Chemical Abuse
  • Suicide
  • Self-Esteem
  • Domestic and Family violence
  • Residential Survivors
  • Trauma, Stress & Abuse
• Provide counseling support services and personal development training workshops
• Promote health, empowerment and independence through problem solving and goal setting skills
• Networking with and referral to other community resources

Services / Activities

• Counseling Sessions
• Individual Case Management
• Community Workshops
• 24 hour Crisis on-Call Intervention
• Treatment Referrals and Follow-up
• Self Help Groups
• Community Awareness
• Prevention Activities (Evening Programs)

Mandate

The Treatment Access Program (TAP) will assist eligible clients to access the nearest appropriate health facility when medical services cannot be obtained in the client’s own community.

Referral Process

• Medical appointments out of Norway House have to be referred and signed by Norway House Clinic doctor.  TAP does not accept medical appointments made by the person directly.
• All accommodation and travel is arranged by the TAP Referral Clerks
• All Travel and accommodations must be pre-authorized by Medical Services.

Travel

• Thompson Travel
  • Greyhound Bus – Will be return bus fare
  • Private Vehicle – Basic rate will be given
• Winnipeg Travel
  • Clients and escorts must travel on the Norway House Cree Nation Bus as per schedule
  • Norway House to Winnipeg Departs @ 9:00 am Sunday and Wednesday
  • Winnipeg to Norway House Departs @ 3:00 pm Tuesday and Friday
  • Schedule may change due to holidays
  • Air Travel
  • Air Travel must be pre-approved by FNIHB and supported by a doctor’s note

Accommodations

The Winnipeg TAP Staff will coordinate accommodation and meals in Winnipeg, Norway House TAP staff will coordinate for Thompson medical appointments.

• For all Winnipeg clients will be placed at 333 Maryland first before the Quest Inn
• For Thompson clients will be placed at YWCA
• Clients with follow-up appointments in Winnipeg must provide appointment information to Winnipeg TAP staff in order for further accommodation and meal coverage.
• Costs for extra family members will not be covered by TAP
• Clients who go before their scheduled appointment will be responsible for their own accommodation and meals until the day before their scheduled medical appointment.

Escorts

Escorts must be pre-approved and is based on legal or medical necessity such as

• The patients has a disability of a nature which the client is unable to travel unassisted
• The patient has been declared “mentally incompetent” by a court or legal consent or help with activities of daily living is required
• To accompany a minor (17 years and under)
• Where the client can’t understand English

Escorts Criteria

• A family member who is required to sign consent forms or provide patient history
• Physically capable of taking care of themselves and the patient
• Able to translate Cree to English and English to Cree
• Stay with the patient at all times
• Report if the patient is being admitted
• Call TAP Office when appointments are done

Traditional Healer

• Clients requesting assistance to see a traditional healer must provide a doctor’s letter
• Traditional Healer must be located in the region/territory of residence
• A community health professional has confirmed that the client has a medical condition
• Process of acquiring approval for traditional healer services
• TAP Referral Clerk will confirm the appointment with the traditional healer
• Travel will be processed once confirmed.  Amount of Travel will depend on the distance up to a maximum amount of $350.00.
• Any honorarium, ceremonial expenses or medicines are the band member’s responsibility.

Program Mandate

The Environmental Health – Drinking Water Safety Program is responsible for the monitoring and testing of water systems – household water tanks, piped systems, water delivery trucks and raw wells.

Program Objective

To meet Canadian Health and Safety requirements for drinking water quality for protecting health and the environment.

Services

• To meet the health and safety requirements for protecting health and the environment.
• To improve environmental health awareness.
• To prevent the spread of enteric water-borne diseases.
• To set protocol in case of water borne bacteria.
• To ensure the temple for CBWN are met.
• Residential cisterns to be cleaned twice a year.
• All public buildings to be sampled once a week.

Program Goal:

The goal of the programs is to improve maternal and infant nutritional health by providing a greater depth of service to women earlier in their pregnancy and for a longer duration postpartum with a particular focus on those at high risk.

Objectives:

• To improve the adequacy of the diet of prenatal and breastfeeding women.
• To increase access to nutrition information services, and resources to eligible women, particularly those at high risk.
• To increase breastfeeding initiation and duration rates.
• To increase knowledge and skill building opportunities for those involved in this program.
• To increase the number of infants fed age-appropriate foods in the first twelve months.

Target group:

• Pregnant women, mothers of infants, and infants up to twelve months of age, in particular those identified as high risk:
• Women of childbearing age

Core Program Elements:

• Nutrition screening, education and counseling.
• Maternal Nourishment.
• Breastfeeding promotion, education and support.
• Supportive Elements.

Vision:

The vision of the Manitoba First Nations Strengthening Families Maternal Child Health Program is that every First Nation Community in Manitoba will have strong, healthy, supportive First Nation families living holistic and balanced lifestyle.

Goals and Objectives:

The goals of the Manitoba First Nations Strengthening Families Program are to promote:

• Healthy Children (between the ages of 0 and 6 years)
• Healthy Families
• Healthy Women (preconception, prenatal, birthing, postpartum)
• Healthy Fathers

The Objectives are to:

• Empower families.
• Promote physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being of women, children, and families.
• Promote trusting and supportive relationships-parent/child, care providers/family and increase resource to resource.
• Increase the community’s capacity to support families.

Program Components:

• Home Visitation
• Referral, Access, and Case Management
• Linkages
• Health Promotion

Program Goal:

The main objective of the FASD Mentoring Program is to target interventions for women at risk of having a child with FASD by delivering the P-CAP Mentoring Model.  The P-CAP Model helps women build on their own strengths, using the community resources available to them.

The Mothers’ Mentoring Program component will benefit the community by expanding and making better use of the support network available to pregnant and post-partum women with addictions  This in turn will help their families and children, including the target child.

The purpose of the FASD project is to coordinate and implement the Mother’s Mentoring Program and other ongoing community based health and education initiatives dealing with FASD.  The goal of the project is to promote awareness in the community and ensure access to resources for families, in particular those with children 0-6 years old affected by FASD, and to pregnant and post-partum women with addictions issues.  As a result of our collective efforts, we will:

• Prevent FASD births
• Improve quality of life for those affected by FASD
• Facilitate early identification, assessment and diagnosis
• Provide local training for parents, professional staff and caregivers

Program Mandate:

To provide locally controlled and designed early intervention strategies can provide our preschool children ages (2-3) with positive sense of themselves, a desire for learning and opportunities to develop filly and successfully as young people.

Program Objectives

• To support the spiritual, social, emotional, physical and intellectual growth of children.
• To support and encourage each child to enjoy life-long learning.
• To support parents and guardians as the primary teachers and caregivers of their children.
• To empower parents to play a major part in planning, developing, operating and evaluating the centre.
• Recognize and support the role of the extend family in teaching and caring for children.
• Networking with other Norway House Cree Nation programs and services.
• To provide educational experiences focusing on the six components of Headstart (Culture & language, education, health promotion, nutrition, social support and parental & family involvement.)

Program Services

• Early childhood Education
• Elder teaching and participation
• Educational experience through circle time activities such as alphabets, colors, numbers, fine motor and large motor development.
• Daily curriculum which focus on the six components
• Education on nutrition, dental, and menu planning for families.
• Monthly community presentations and field trips.
• Parental resource days every Wednesday which include life skills training, resource presentations, sharing ideas and talents (arts & crafts, scrapbooking, menu planning.)
• Information booths and displays.

Mandate

To provide community awareness of diabetic issues, focusing on the prevention of diabetes; care, treatment and lifestyle supports for persons affected by diabetes and for those who are at high risk for developing diabetes in first nations’ communities.

Objective

• Create a holistic and culturally appropriate community diabetes program
• Decrease high incidence of Diabetes and its complications
• Promote Self-Care and Self-Management
• Create a safe and caring environment for those affected by diabetes

Services

Creating Awareness – Workshops, presentations and conferences

• Annual Diabetes Conference
• Diabetes Workshop
• Health Fairs
• Diabetes and Cancer Awareness Gathering
• Mini-health workshops
• Foot Health Clinics
• School Presentations
• Resource Library: Displays, Handouts, posters, newsletters, cookbook

Individual Client Support

• Counseling and Educational Sessions
• Glucometer Education/Assistance
• Blood Pressure/Blood Sugar Monitoring
• Nutritional and Meal Planning Assistance

Support Groups/Clubs

• Diabetes Support Group
• Weight Loss Challenge
• 200 KM Walking Club
• Kids in the Kitchen

Networking with other community resources

• Community Wellness Program
• Community Health Representatives
• Community Clinic
• Schools

Program Mandate:

The program is designed to provide support, assistance and security for clients, staff and property for the Norway House Hospital facility after regular hours in order to facilitate the provision of the Norway House Health Services.

Program Objectives:

• Provide security services by obtaining and retaining security personnel.
• Provide support to Hospital staff with after-hour security services.
• Provide assistance to patients/visitors and hospital staff personnel.
• Provide Security for Hospital facility.