By Tan Mei Xi
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4 Indigenous healthcare professionals on the Indigenous Health Team of St. Paul's Hospital had their unionized roles "dissolved' last month, and new job postings for similar roles on the Providence Health Care website require bachelor's degrees in social work and are non-unionized. Providence Health Care is the organisation that operates St. Paul's Hospital.

The abrupt change came at a cost to patient care, said Lavita Trimble, one of the healthcare professionals who had her role dissolved. The dissolution of those roles without professionals in place to deliver cultural services led to patients being left without support, she said.

The requirement for a bachelor's degree of social work for the newly posted 'Indigneous wellness liaison' on the Providence Health Care website is "recolonising", said Rebecca Hatch, another former member of the St. Paul's Indigenous Health Team.

"We do everything in that [new] job description and more already," said Hatch. "Requiring a degree to do that work... it really is just a very colonial slap in the face."

According to a statement from Providence Health Care, the organisation is "enhancing and investing additional funds in the Indigenous Health Program and services. This includes doubling the Indigenous Health support staffing on the team."

A spokesperson for Providence told CFRO that each job posting is reviewed by its human resources department, and that HR look at what the patients’ needs are and what competencies or education the healthcare professionals require. According to the spokesperson, this a formalised HR process that every HR department in every BC healthcare organisation follows.

The spokesperson added that Providence is at the very beginning of its journey to reconciliation, and it has lots more to do. He said the organisation is committed to adding more people and more dollars to make its workforce more reflective of BC.