First Nations have advocate in Capital Health Region

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Darlene McGougan would like to get the message out to First Nations people within the Capital Health Region that she is there to advocate on their behalf in the area of health care.

McGougan is the First Nations liaison with Capital Health Region (CHR) in Victoria, a post she has held since the position was created in February. She works out of Royal Jubilee Hospital.

The CHR delivers health care services to most of the southern island, McGougan said, including nine reserves, the urban community and the Metis community.

"My mandate is to help improve the health of First Nations people within the Capital Health Authority," McGougan said.

McGougan, a First Nations person herself, is an registered nurse, who completed her Bachelor of Nursing Degree in 1998 with a focus on First Nations health promotion and disease prevention.

As First Nations liaison, McGougan works to bring the expertise of the CHR out to the communities, as well as ensuring the First Nations viewpoint is included in the planning of programs being offered by the CHR, "so that what we do is . . . culturally more acceptable to our First Nations communities." She also works with people in hospitals who are having problems accessing the health services they need.

One of the projects McGougan is currently working on is establishing a program aimed at preventing fall-related health problems among seniors and veterans. McGougan is working to get members of the First Nations communities involved, and to look at ways to take the information that comes out of the project out to the Elders in the First Nations communities.

McGougan wants to let First Nations people throughout the CHR to know that she's there, and that she can try to help them address any health issues they might be having, "particularly in trying to deal with the system."

"I've worked for health care for a long time, and I'm here to be their advocate if they need me," she said.

McGougan can be reached at 250-370-8455.