Jane Philpott looks to bring Indigenous health delivery to new department

Newly minted Indigenous Services Minister Jane Philpottsays her new department will likely include the delivery of healthservices for First Nations and Inuit an area previously under herwatch at Health Canada.

Philpott said consultations and legislation will be required forthe creation of her new ministry, but she said the 1996 RoyalCommission on Aboriginal Peoples clearly suggested a new department should handle health delivery on a gradually diminishing basis.

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"The royal commission structure that was recommended is fairlysimilar to the approach that we are taking, suggesting that allhealth services would be managed through a new department and a minister that was responsible for delivery of those services until such time that self-governing First Nations or other Indigenous communities were ready, willing and able to take over those areas,"Philpottsaid in an interview.

She also said the current federal approach dividing Indigenoushealth care and the delivery of other social services that drive health outcomes is an "artificial separation,"while the new department affords an opportunity to bring this all under one roof.

"Health services fits very strongly in with other socialdeterminants like education and child care and so many other issuesthat will be under the portfolio,"Philpottsaid.

"In a way, my job is a step in the process necessary in theshort term in order to fix many things that are not working right and to address many injustices in terms of the level of services that are being provided, but it is not intended that the department of Indigenous Services will be around forever."

'Opportunity' for Indigenous communities

Self-determination of communities, including the ability tocontrol health services, was the vision behind an agreement recentlyinked by Ottawa, Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) and the province ofOntario, she said, noting it looks to put control and direction inthe hands of the communities needing the services.

NAN Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler said he is pleased to see a newfederal department is being created, adding he wants to see it do business differently.

"We need to dismantle the whole system and in its place, build asystem that will finally meet the needs of our communities," he said.

"Our communities have to be engaged in a meaningful way to ensure that the solutions that they have are incorporated into this process. I welcome the opportunity to be involved and for ourcommunities to be involved in that work."

Dr.AlikaLafontaine, past president of the Indigenous PhysiciansAssociation of Canada, said the federal government now has a blank slate to lay out a new vision.

"MinisterPhilpotthas a great a chance to impact healthdisparities positively, as early politicians had to completely
dismantle the health systems that existed in our Indigenouscommunities," he said.

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"This is probably the biggest opportunitythat has been given to Indigenous communities in a very long time."

Philpott agrees the new ministry provides an "incredibleopportunity."

"Our government needs to be listening very carefully and actingon the good advice of people who have thought about this for a very long time, that this has to be a momentous change," she said.

"I think the blank slate metaphor is a good one and one that wecertainly need to keep in mind that this is a new future."

Northern Ontario NDP MP Charlie Angus, who is currently runningto become leader of his party, said the key issue is to ensure thefederal delivery of services is transformed and made more transparent for communities.

"Simply moving the office doesn't really change anything."