Indigenous Health

BC Renal respects the values, cultures, and self-determination of Indigenous peoples, and is committed to the co-development of an Indigenous cultural safety strategy in kidney care.

This page highlights the work underway to improve kidney care for Indigenous peoples in BC.

We are committed to:

Advancing cultural safety and humility, free of bias and Indigenous-specific racism in the health system; and
Closing the health gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people with or at risk of chronic kidney disease in BC, resulting in improved health outcomes and experience for Indigenous peoples.

What are we doing?

Supporting initiatives that promote kidney-specific care for Indigenous communities, primarily through BC Renal partners.

Kidney Check: Identifying kidney disease and diabetes in Indigenous communities

BC Renal is collaborating with the Can-SOLVE CKD network, First Nations Health Authority, and health authority renal programs to carry out a screening program to rural and remote Indigenous communities. The program works with each person to build a kidney health plan that includes follow-up care or goals for kidneys wellness.

BRIDGE to Transplantation

BC Renal is collaborating with BC Transplant and the BRIDGE to Transplantation initiative on developing a new website focused on storytelling and Indigenous ways of knowing.

Promoting Indigenous cultural safety education and training among all BC Renal staff, contractors, patient partners, and other network members.

San’yas Core Indigenous Cultural Safety Health Training.

BC Renal has embedded the training into our organizational action plan, supporting all leaders, staff, affiliated researchers, patient partners, and provincial committee chairs/leads to complete it.

Land Acknowledgement Video and Webinar Learning Series

BC Renal collaborated with the Can-SOLVE CKD network (including 10 Indigenous Knowledge Keepers from across Canada) to develop a set of webinars and a guidebook to support authentic, purposeful territorial land acknowledgements. Dissemination of this learning series is ongoing across the BC Renal network.

Wabishki Bizhiko Skaanj Learning Pathway

BC Renal continues to work with Indigenous patients, researchers and Knowledge Keepers in the Can-SOLVE CKD network on socializing the pathway to support ongoing journeys of looking, listening, learning and leading in health research among non-Indigenous and Indigenous researchers, policy makers and patient partners.

With the insight and support of PHSA Indigenous Health, continuing to develop an Indigenous cultural safety strategy in kidney care.

BC Renal Indigenous Pre-strategy Development

The pre-strategy will focus on strengthening cultural competency across the renal network and building authentic and respectful relationships with Indigenous health partners and communities.

Provincial Health Services Authority