Health board needs Indigenous representatives before it starts operating

October 23, 2015.

First Nations leaders are wary of the announcement made this morning by Health Minister Sarah Hoffman of membership to the new Alberta Health Services board.

Treaty
6 Grand Chief Bernice Martial says she has had no discussions with the minister, while Treaty 8 Grand Chief Steve Courtoreille said he only spoke to Hoffman yesterday about the board.

“Of course one of our big objectives (is) closing that gap in terms of health outcomes for Indigenous peoples,” said Hoffman. “We need to achieve better health outcomes and improve services for Indigenous Albertans.”

After revealing the names of the board members, Hoffman said she had “reached out to most” of the Indigenous leaders and would confer with them before appointing an Indigenous representative to the six-member board.

“I look forward to meeting and connecting with their recommendations. And that’s actually what consultation is. It’s not appointing somebody and saying what do you think of the people we’ve already done but actually reaching out in a collaborative way and they’ve been very responsive to that,” said Hoffman. She did not say why that step had not already been taken.

As far as Courtoreille is concerned each Treaty area needs to have a member on that board.

Martial is not keen on the timing of appointing Indigenous representation. 

“I think there should always be somebody sitting on the board, especially health anyway,” she said.

Courtoreille agreed.  “They couldn’t move forward without us. One of our concerns with Sarah (with) any future appointments, we need to be fully engaged and have proper representation. I want to make sure that board isn’t starting without us.”

Hoffman indicated that the board would be operational in “a few more weeks.” Alberta Health Services has been without a board since 2013.

The new board will be chaired by former Edmonton
Journal publisher Linda Hughes. Joining her are Dr. Brenda Hemmelgarn, as vice-chair; David Carpenter, Hugh D. Sommerville, Marliss Taylor and Glenda Yeates. While there is no representative from Indigenous leadership on the board, there are Aboriginal connections. Taylor, is manager for the Streetworks program in Edmonton, which includes working with a high Aboriginal population. Carpenter, who was appointed in August as official administrator for Alberta Health Services and who will now move on to the board, is former mayor of Lethbridge and was recognized by the Blood Tribe in a naming ceremony in 2001 with the name Pita-Poot-Ta or Flying Eagle.

The new board will report directly to Hoffman.