A challenge continues as we strive to develop and to deliver the variety of health programs at both sites of De dwa da dehs nye>s Aboriginal Health Centre.  Our programs have been targeted to the following areas:  traditional healing, primary care (physician/nurse practitioner services), youth services,, advocacy services, outreach services, and health promotion and education.  As we think about these services in context with the aboriginal community that we serve, it is abundantly clear that the low health status of our aboriginal clients continues to be a major barrier for their healing and wellness.

The task of ensuring that the healthcare system in the Hamilton and Brantford communities will be able to meet the health needs of Aboriginal people is an important role for our organization.  Our health centre has been specifically designed to meet the needs of Aboriginal people.  We focus on culturally sensitive primary care, preventative health care and holistic healing services and programs.  We offer our Aboriginal clients a choice of culturally appropriate western medicine and/or traditional healing.  Our Health Centre has been designed to serve the urban and rural Aboriginal populations off-reserve, while complementing and augmenting existing services offered by both main-stream and Native organizations both on an doff reserve.  Our programs and services have been developed to improve the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health of the Aboriginal people in our catchment area. 

Our Health Centre took part, as a pilot site, in a longitudinal study conducted by the Aboriginal Healing and Wellness Strategy.  In the first phase of the study the results of the review of Aboriginal Health Access Centres clients, reported the following:

Ø      Aboriginal Health Access Centres offer programs and services to people who describe their own health as poor, much poorer than adult Canadians as a whole.

Ø      Many clients have physical limitations in the kinds of activities they can do, and they need support in accessing services.

Ø      Aboriginal clients have expressed a high level of satisfaction with the services they receive.

Ø      Aboriginal clients have reported that the Aboriginal Health Access Centres have been “really helpful” in the spiritual guidance they received.

Ø      Aboriginal clients have reported that the Aboriginal Health Access Centres have been “really helpful” in the care they received for their emotional and mental health.

Ø      Aboriginal clients saw the Aboriginal Health Access Centres as an important place to access traditional services such as seeing an elder or a traditional healer.

In delivery of our Health Centre programs, the following is an overview of the results we have achieved over the past year for the period April 1, 1999 to March 31, 2000.

Health Centre helps aboriginal people

De dwa da dehs nye>s Aboriginal Health Centre was created to assist Aboriginal people to access culturally appropriate health programs and services.

The Health Centre focuses on preventive and primary holistic health care, which applies to all parts of the person – spiritual, mental, emotional and physical. Clients can choose to see a doctor, a traditional healer or alternative therapies.  The Health Centre will serve all Aboriginal people and families regardless of residency or status and will offer assistance to outside organizations to provide care in a culturally sensitive way.