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Indigenous Patient Advocate

IPA

The Indigenous Patient Advocate (IPA) role was established to provide wrap-around advocacy, navigation, and liaison services for Indigenous Peoples accessing New Brunswick (NB) healthcare services. These services include, but are not limited to, inpatient and outpatient settings, dentistry, pharmacy, optometry, and home and community care.

FAQ

The IPA services Indigenous Peoples who access any healthcare service in New Brunswick, such as pharmacy, dentistry, optometry, medical/nursing clinics, etc. The IPA also addresses systemic racism within health systems through education, relationships, and capacity building. 

Services are available to any Indigenous person (registered or unregistered, on or off-reserve) who belongs to or is accessing healthcare services in NB. 

In any instance where you, a family member, or a community member feels as though they have been mistreated in a healthcare setting or encounter as a result of their identity, anti-Indigenous racism, or other forms of discrimination. 

Jasmine Murchison-Perley can be reached from Monday to Friday, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm. She is accessible by cell phone at (506) 471-7693 or by email at jasmine.perley@wolastoqey.ca 

2SLGBTQIA+

The IPA champions inclusive, culturally safe, and trauma and violence-informed care for Two-Spirit (2S), lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual (2SLGBTQIA+), and gender-diverse or non-conforming community members. Focusing on: 

  • Centring 2S Identity: Ensuring the unique cultural, spiritual, and historical roles of 2S people within Wolastokuk and broader Indigenous Nations are respected and uplifted in healthcare settings. 
  • Gender-Affirming Support: Ongoing cross-disciplinary work with healthcare providers in NB to create affirming care pathways for Indigenous patients, advocating for access to hormone therapy, mental health supports, and surgical referrals when needed. 
  • Health System Navigation: Provides direct support to 2SLGBTQIA+ community members in navigating complex healthcare systems, advocating for their rights, and addressing systemic discrimination and barriers to care. 
  • Capacity Building and Training: Contributes to awareness-building among service providers through education on gender diversity, Indigenous worldviews of identity and kinship, and the colonial impacts on 2SLGBTQIA+ wellness. 
  • Policy and Program Advocacy: Engagement with provincial health entities to advocate for policies that embed cultural humility, gender inclusivity, and equity for Indigenous 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals across the continuum of care. 

Resources

  • New Brunswick Health Jurisdictions Map

    Disclaimer: For Informational Purposes Only. This document is intended for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as official medical advice or policy. It was developed by Darryl Pelletier, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Technician for the Wolastoqey Nation in New Brunswick (WNNB), to support health access awareness for community members and partners.