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A new wellness centre in northern B.C. aims to provide culturally safe primary care for residents.
The Dadzi Wellness Centre, located on Dak’elh territory, will be First Nations-led and is expected to attach about 1,250 patients to a primary care provider, according to the province.
The centre in Fort St. James is open five days a week and offers services like primary care, maternal health, and traditional wellness and healing. It extends its delivery of care through two other centres, the province said.
“We’re looking at the whole aspect of a person,” said Dadzi Wellness Centre operations director Donald Prince in a video posted in January.
“Whether they have trauma in their life, or whether they have medical issues, whether they have addictions, those kinds of things. I think it’s really important that we look at all aspects of what’s going on with somebody.”
By weaving traditional teachings into a medical environment, patients will receive care that recognizes their identity and removes barriers to the health-care system, he added.
“People can know that when they come here they are going to get their care, and going to get their needs met,” he said in the video.
Combining Western practices with traditional knowledge
According to the First Nations Health Authority, the centre will bring 15.65 full-time equivalent health-care providers to the region.
Providers include doctors and nurse practitioners, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and mental health professionals. Elders, traditional food advisers, Indigenous navigators and social workers will also be included, in addition to non-clinical team members for added support.
“The new Dadzi Wellness Centre combines Western clinical practices with First Nations knowledge to deliver holistic health care closer to home,” Minister of Health Josie Osborne said in a statement.
“We are committed to working with partners, in community and across the province, to remove barriers to care experienced by Indigenous Peoples.”
The centre is funded through a partnership between the First Nations Health Authority and the Ministry of Health, and supported by Dak’elh partners, the province said.
As part of the First Nations Primary Care Initiative, the centre is one of three First Nations primary care centres that will support communities in northern B.C., according to the province.