The CEO of Island Health says it has started making changes to end systemic racism in British Columbia's health care system following Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond's report released yesterday.

Kathy MacNeil says an anti-Indigenous racism working group has formed at Saanich Penninsula Hospital, just outside of Victoria, to implement the recommendations in a report released yesterday by Turpel-Lafond. The report, entitled "In Plain Sight" concluded anti-Indigenous racism, discrimination and stereotyping is widespread in BC's health care system and has engendered fear and a reluctance among Indigenous people to seek medical treatment.

The report included a survey of thousands of Indigenous people and health care workers in BC. It found that 84 per cent of Indigenous respondents reported discrimination in health care, with Indigenous women and girls disproportionately affected. More than half of Indigenous health care workers in BC reported racial prejudice at work, largely through discriminatory comments by colleagues. And one third of non-Indigenous survey participants said they witnessed racist acts and discrimination against Indigenous people seeking medical care. MacNeil says the Island Health Authority, which is responsible for delivering health care services on Vancouver Island, has failed Indigenous people.

Here is Kathy MacNeil: 

MacNeil says the health authority has implemented a new policy that allows designated essential visitors to accompany Indigenous patients at Saanich Penninsula Hospital, to offer support and help overcome fear Indigenous people have in accessing health care. Information on culturally-safe practices has been posted at all nursing stations in the hospital.  MacNeil says these steps were taken in July and only at the Saanich Penninsula hospital, but she says those initiatives will be expanded throughout the health region.

Here is Kathy MacNeil: 

Island Health will hire five Indigenous Patient Liaison representatives. It will train 1,500 medical leaders in cultural safety practices by January and it is in discussions to create a culturally-appropriate complaint process. MacNeil is promising that is just the beginning of transforming the system to eliminate anti-Indigenous racism and Indigenous patients' fear of health services.