People in Agassiz-Harrison will soon have access to First Nations-led primary care.
The B.C. Ministry of Health recently announced the development of the Sts’ailes Community Care Campus (SCCC), which is to be located at 46090 Lougheed Highway.
Health minister Adrian Dix expressed pride in the province’s partnership with Sts’ailes and other First Nations communities.
“The work we are doing in Harrison Mills is making the lives of people living in B.C. better and it’s another step forward in our collective journey towards reconciliation,” Dix stated. “When it opens, the Sts’ailes Community Care Campus will provide a fully integrated blend of contemporary medical services and person-first, culturally appropriate health and wellness services to Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities and residents alike.”
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The SCCC, owned by the Sts’ailes First Nation, will open in phases, the first of which is coming later this year. This will replace the temporary facility at the Sts’ailes Administration Building (4690 Salish Way).
The campus will offer a multi-faceted approach to health, including primary care, social services and Indigenous health supports in a culturally safe environment that will serve patients from Agassiz to Mission. The facility will be home to about 15 full-time staff members, including traditional healers, health practitioners and administrative support.
Sts’ailes Chief Ralph Leon stated he is grateful for the partnerships with the province and the surrounding communities and for them “honouring their commitment to the health and well-being of our people.”
“Our people in our communities depend on us to do good work, and we are taking the necessary steps to make a real difference for the people living in the northern Fraser region,” Leon stated.
Chilliwack-Kent MLA Kelli Paddon praised the initiative as great news for Sts’ailes and the surrounding communities.
“I know how much work and consideration has gone into this project and have heard from community members what this means to the Nation and the region,” Paddon stated. “I look forward to seeing the campus open so residents can have even greater access to public health-care services.”
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The campus will work with the Chilliwack Primary Care Network, and several campuses just like it are planned for the future. The First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) works closely with health centres throughout the Fraser Health region and the province.
“FNHA celebrates the partnership with the Ministry of Health and with First Nations’ communities to implement team-based culturally grounded primary-care initiatives,” stated Richard JOck, FNHA CEO. “These transformational models give full expression to B.C. First Nations self-determination and support a vision where First Nations people in B.C. have access to quality, timely and inclusive health and wellness services, which are rooted in culture and are welcoming spaces for the people being served.”