Today is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – a day to recognize the profound impact of the residential school system, honour the survivors and their families and remember the thousands of children who never made it home. It’s also a day for anyone who is not Indigenous to commit to actions in their own lives to meaningfully respond to past and ongoing injustices experienced by Indigenous peoples in Canada.

The foundational principle in responding to National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is that leadership and directions for action must come from Indigenous peoples.

Unity Health Toronto has committed to developing an Indigenous Health program that guides our efforts to improve health outcomes and the care we provide to First Nations, Inuit and Métis patients and residents. We took a meaningful step forward earlier this year, welcoming 127 Indigenous patients, their loved ones and community support workers to share their experiences receiving care across Unity Health. In these sessions, we heard stories of exemplary care and sensitivity toward the concerns of Indigenous peoples. We also heard many stories of distrust, racism and inattention.

A number of recommendations came out of these community sessions, which are guiding us in our efforts to improve the experiences of Indigenous peoples at Unity Health. We look forward to keeping the Indigenous and wider community informed as we advance this work in the coming year.

As we recognize National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we invite you to review this update on all our efforts this past year and our plans for the year ahead.

What we accomplished in 2023-24

  • Launched our first policy on Indigenous reconciliation to outline the legislative framework for Indigenous patient care and the expectations of everyone who learns and works at Unity Health.
  • Welcomed new Indigenous staff who will support our work, including a Community Engagement Specialist, a Cultural and Ceremonial Facilitator and a Wellness Specialist – Emergency Department.
  • Updated our HR system to allow staff to identify as Indigenous, if they choose, helping us monitor our efforts towards increased Indigenous representation.
  • The Indigenous Wellness, Reconciliation and Partnerships team started working with Indigenous patients to help them navigate their care journey, including discharge back into the community.
  • Received a generous donation to design and build an Indigenous sacred space at St. Michael’s Hospital. This space is expected to open in January, with spaces at our other sites to follow.

Where we came up short

While we made great strides in the commitments we set out to accomplish last year, we are still working on developing Unity Health’s Indigenous Health Plan with Indigenous advisors and leaders. This work will take time, and we are committed to continued work with our partners to meet this goal.

Concrete actions that Unity Health is taking in 2024-25

  • Review the recommendations generated from our community engagement sessions, with roll-out plans to share the full report with all staff and community members in the coming months.
  • Continue to advance recruitment of Indigenous peoples into various positions across Unity Health. We’ve committed to hiring at least 10 Indigenous peoples by the end of this fiscal year.
  • Finalize and launch a policy on Indigenous identity to support managers in hiring Indigenous people, including guidance on how and when to ask questions about Indigenous identity. We’re also developing strategies to improve recruitment and hiring of Indigenous peoples.
  • Make several Ontario Health Indigenous relationship and cultural awareness courses available for staff and physicians in our online learning management system.    
  • Work with the Oncology and Security teams to complete at least one Indigenous cultural safety course by the end of this fiscal year. Unity Health has relations with Indigenous Cancer Care and Security is a key partner in accessing cultural and ceremonial support 24 hours a day.

We know that care and competency depends largely on the individuals providing care. We also know that everyone is on their own learning journey. We encourage you to explore local events, resources and activities that fit your level of understanding of the health needs of Indigenous peoples. Unity Health staff can visit UnityNet for a list of suggested events and activities to advance their learning.

Once again this year, we’d like to sincerely thank the First Nations, Inuit and Métis leaders and community members who continue to lead this important work. We remain committed to working together to provide the best possible care experiences for First Nations (status and non-status), Inuit and Métis patients, residents and communities.

Sincerely,

Roberta Pike
Director, Indigenous Wellness, Reconciliation and Partnerships
Unity Health Toronto

Tim Rutledge
President and CEO
Unity Health Toronto

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