Category #working groups/committees   Show all

  • First ever Indigenous Advisory Working Group

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    Sharon Bryant of Kitsumkalum First Nation (right front) and Isabelle McKee of Kitselas First Nation (left front) are both members of the MMH Indigenous Advisory Working Group. Here they are pictured at a ground blessing ceremony on site last spring. In the back row are Gerald Nyce of the Kitselas Health department, and Northern Health Board Chair Colleen Nyce.

    In light of the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation this Friday, September 30, we wanted to tell you an important way Northern Health has engaged with Indigenous groups on the Mills Memorial Hospital Replacement project.


    First ever Indigenous Advisory Working Group supports design of new Terrace hospital

    With a budget of more than $600 million, the Mills Memorial Hospital (MMH) Replacement project, which includes the building of a new hospital in Terrace, is the largest capital project Northern Health has undertaken to date.

    Northern Health engages with Indigenous groups, communities, and patients in many ways. And to date, all Northern Health capital projects, including the MMH project, have been supported by Capital Advisory Committees, which include representatives from local First Nations.

    The MMH project, however, was the first Northern Health capital project to be supported by an Indigenous Advisory Working Group (IAWG) specific to the project.

    “Being part of the IAWG and being able to provide feedback on plans has been wonderful. It’s exciting to be able to help create a safe space, share our culture and the ways it may be best represented in the new hospital. Unity and input from the group will help Indigenous patients feel safer and more welcome at the new facility,” said Sharon Bryant, a member of the Kitsumkalum Nation and the MMH Indigenous Advisory Working Group.

    The MMH IAWG was formed in the spring of 2021. Members include representatives from the Nations of Kitsumkalum, Kitselas, Nisga’a and Gitxsan, Metis Nation of BC, Kermodei Friendship Society, and First Nations Health Authority.

    The purpose of the MMH Indigenous Advisory Working Group is to have a table for Indigenous input into design aspects of the project. The group provides input pertaining to considerations unique to Indigenous culture and practices to ensure the new hospital will be culturally safe, welcoming, respectful and relevant.

    Aspects of the project that may be influenced by this group include but are not limited to patient experience, culturally appropriate design, artwork, signage, and other local considerations of interest that arise as the group meets.

    “Northern Health is tremendously grateful for the participation of the members of this group. Their input is extremely valuable, and will help Northern Health in its ongoing desire and commitment to have culturally safe care occurring in culturally safe facilities,” says Ciro Panessa, Northern Health Chief Operating Officer, Northwest Health Service Delivery Area.

    The MMH Replacement project consists of the building of a new hospital in Terrace and a new Seven Sisters facility, which provides a mental health rehabilitation and recovery program on the same property as the Terrace hospital. Among many other exciting new features, the new hospital will be more than double the size of the current facility, with almost double the number of beds, double the number of psychiatry beds, and double the number of emergency department treatment spaces.

    In addition to the IAWG, the MMH Replacement Project is also supported by a Community Advisory Working Group, which also has representatives from local First Nations.

    Input from the CAWG and IAWG is filtered upwards. It first goes to the MMH Capital Advisory Committee. Then it goes to the MMH Project Steering Committee who, in collaboration with the Project Board, balances the complexities of a capital building project with the needs and wants of the local and regional communities and residents.

    Let’s Talk MMH is where you’ll find everything you want to know about the Mills Memorial Hospital Replacement Project and all the groups we’ve described.

    Note: The graphic used for this story was specially designed by Gitxsan artist Cori Johnson for Northern Health to recognize National Truth and Reconciliation/Orange shirt day. Read more about the graphic and the artist.

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  • Working groups provide valuable input

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    A significant way Northern Health receives valuable input into the new hospital has been through both the MMH Indigenous Advisory Working Group (IAWG) and MMH Community Advisory Working Group (CAWG). The work of the IAWG and the CAWG informs the project to help ensure a facility that reflects and supports the communities served by Mills Memorial Hospital.

    Aspects of the project that may be influenced by these groups include but are not limited to patient experience, culturally appropriate design, artwork, signage, and local considerations of interest that arise as we meet.

    Over the last few months, both groups have met several times with members of the MMH Replacement project team to provide feedback on a variety of topics. The most recent meetings took place this past week, at the end of July.

    Input to date from both groups has been extremely valuable and we are tremendously grateful for the participation of the members.

    Input from the CAWG and IAWG is filtered upwards. It first goes to the MMH Capital Advisory Committee. Then it goes to the MMH Project Steering Committee who, in collaboration with the Project Board, balances the complexities of a capital building project with the needs and wants of the local and regional communities and residents.

    There is a lot going on behind the scenes in the construction of a new hospital, but a simplified version of reporting, when it comes to these groups, looks like the graphic on this page.

    Terms of reference for both working groups and the MMH Capital Advisory Committee can be found in the documents section of this website. Take a look to find out more info about the groups' purpose and membership:

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  • Join the MMH Community Advisory Working Group

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    Northern Health is looking for two patient representatives from outside of Terrace, who live in Northwest BC and access services at Mills Memorial Hospital, to be part of a Community Advisory Working Group (CAWG) for the new hospital.

    This volunteer opportunity can be applied for though the Patient Voices Network. For more information and to apply, go to: Member, Community Advisory Working Group (CAWG), Mills Memorial Hospital (MMH) Replacement Project - Patient Voices Network (patientvoicesbc.ca)

    Deadline to apply is Wednesday, September 1, 2021.

    The purpose of the Community Advisory Working Group is to have a table for stakeholder and community input into design aspects of the Mills Memorial (MMH) Replacement Project. The Group will provide input pertaining to local culture, practices and experience, to ensure the new facility is welcoming, respectful and relevant.

    Representatives form local and regional community organizations and stakeholder groups, many of which are in Terrace, have been invited to join this group. This includes a patient representative from Terrace. As Mills Memorial Hospital provides services to residents throughout Northwest BC, however, we are looking for two patient representatives from outside of Terrace to participate and give a more regional perspective

    The Group will be a sub group of the MMH Capital Advisory Committee. The Group’s input will complement and be considered along with input collected from other engagement activities and platforms.

    Some of the topic discussed within the Community Advisory Working Group (CAWG) will overlap with topics discussed by the MMH Indigenous Advisory Working Group (IAWG), which was formed in the Spring of 2021. Sub-working groups focused on specific topics may be formed with members from both of these working groups.

    The first meeting for this community group is planned for September 8 and the next Indigenous Advisory Working Group (IAWG) meeting is planned for the next day, September 9.

  • Working groups created to give input

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    The Mills Memorial Hospital Replacement project is moving towards the final stages of procurement. Northern Health is in late-stage negotiations with a potential proponent to enter into a Design-Build Agreement. Once this agreement in place, the proponent will lead the complete design and construction of the new hospital.

    Design to Date

    The design of the new hospital is ongoing. Over the last year, several rounds of meetings have taken place between the proponent, MMH project team members, and facility user groups. The most recent meetings took place in February 2021 and the next round will be at the end of May.

    In the meetings, physicians and staff advise on essential and standard operational and clinical design elements, and raise concerns and offer suggestions based on best practices. These meetings are essential for the bidder to be able to draft a basic design and move through the Request for Proposal (RFP) process that leads to a final agreement.

    To date, the design of the hospital is approximately 60% complete, based on:

    • Best practices
    • Business plan
    • Statement of requirements
    • Services offered
    • Site and location
    • Local population
    • Department workflows and functions
    • Cultural considerations
    • Clinical and operational staff input
    • Indigenous, community and stakeholder input
    • Budget

    Working Groups created for Indigenous & community Input

    Since 2018, a Capital Advisory Committee, made up of local community, stakeholder and Indigenous representatives, has provided guidance in relation to project engagement. We are in the process of forming two working groups to serve under this committee and give input into the project.

    1. MMH Indigenous Advisory Working Group (IAWG)
      The purpose of the MMH Indigenous Advisory Working Group (IAWG) is to have a table for Indigenous input into design aspects of the project. The group, made up of local Indigenous and Métis Nation representatives, will provide input pertaining to considerations unique to Indigenous culture and practices to ensure the new facility is culturally safe, welcoming, respectful and relevant. The IAWG had its first two meetings at the end of April 2021. (Terms of Reference for the IAWG are available in the Documents section of this site.)

    2. Community Advisory Working Group (CAWG)
      The second working group, the Community Advisory Working Group (CAWG), will include broad community representation and is in development. The purpose of this group will be to provide input into design aspects of the project to ensure the new facility is locally and culturally respectful and relevant.

    Future Engagement

    After a proponent is announced, the MMH project team will initiate more general staff, community and stakeholder engagement. This includes sharing more detailed information, as well as seeking commentary and feedback.

    Register for Let’s Talk Northern Health!

    Due to current restrictions, a lot of our engagement will be virtual. This site Let’s Talk Northern Health is an online platform for sharing project information and gathering ideas and feedback. We invite you to check out the Let’s Talk Mills Memorial Hospital Replacement project page.

    Right now, we are asking some questions on the project page. We invite you to register for the site and share your thoughts. Over the course of the project, we will regularly post project updates, images, documents and engagement opportunities related to the project. This site will be where the most current project information is.

    Note! Anyone can go to the Let’s Talk site and Mills project page. But to participate and post on the site, or ask a question, you must register.

    Get in Touch

    Email: letstalkMMH@northernhealth.ca

    Or register and post a comment or question on the Let’s Talk Mills Memorial Hospital Replacement project page