Northern Passages Northern Ontario School of Medicine Has Students in June 2018, Will Focus on Needs Is Published Bi-Annually

NORTHERN ONTARIO SCHOOL OF MEDICINE NORTHERN PASSAGESVOLUME 18 | ISSUE 2 REHABILITATION SCIENCES CREATES NEW PLACEMENT OPPORTUNITY NEW RESIDENCY STREAM TRAINS DOCTORS IN EABAMETOONG FIRST NATION OUT OF THE CLASSROOM AND INTO THE KITCHEN Jennifer Turcotte-Russak with David Peterson, Manager of NORTHERN Health Services at Anishnawbe Mushkiki Aboriginal Health Access Centre and Peter Jordan, Physiotherapist and Clinic Owner at the Lakehead University Sports Medicine Clinic at PASSAGES the Anishnawbe-Mushkiki Aboriginal Health Access Centre in Thunder Bay. Newsletter of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine Northern Ontario School of Medicine Laurentian University 935 Ramsey Lake Rd. Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6 Tel: +1-705-675-4883 Fax: +1-705-675-4858 Northern Ontario School of Medicine Lakehead University DEFINING THEIR OWN ROLE: 955 Oliver Rd. Thunder Bay, ON REHABILITATION SCIENCES CREATES P7B 5E1 Tel: +1-807-766-7300 NEW PLACEMENT OPPORTUNITY Fax: +1-807-766-7370 The Rehabilitation Sciences Unit at the The placement, which welcomed its first Northern Passages Northern Ontario School of Medicine has students in June 2018, will focus on needs is published bi-annually. created a new placement opportunity for assessment with AMAHAC stakeholders. The occupational therapy and physiotherapy role will focus on Indigenous health, and © Copyright 2018 Northern Ontario School of Medicine. students from the Northern Studies Stream at students will need to consider the social the Anishnawbe-Mushkiki Aboriginal Health determinants of health affecting First Nation Access Centre (AMAHAC) in Thunder Bay. peoples in the North when considering how FEEDBACK they can best address the needs of their To update your mailing preferences for Northern Passages, The new initiative is a collaboration between clients. Learners will also identify relevant or to suggest stories that you AMAHAC, NOSM, the Lakehead University resources and evidence to support the would you like to read about Sports Medicine Clinic and the School of proposed roles and approaches to meet these your medical school, kindly email Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University. stated needs. [email protected]. Occupational therapy and physiotherapy “Occupational therapy and physiotherapy facebook.com/thenosm students from McMaster will be placed at are both very broad areas of practice,” says AMAHAC in Thunder Bay in a role-emerging Turcotte-Russak. “This placement will offer @thenosm format, meaning students will have the students a unique, exciting and challenging opportunity to develop their respective roles opportunity to—with assistance from on and nosm.ca within the organization, says Jennifer Turcotte- off-site preceptors—determine how their @thenosm Russak, Manager of Community Engagement role can best reflect the current needs and and Integrated Clinical Learning at NOSM. priorities of clients and the health team that Cover photo:-David Peterson at the Anishnawbe- serves them.” Mushkiki Aboriginal Health Center in Thunder Bay The placement opportunity will also occupational therapy students from and evidence obtained from the pilot promote collaboration between the McMaster have participated in academic placement to inform the next stages of the existing AMAHAC team and the learners and clinical education in Northern Ontario. initiative, which will focus on broadening in order to build working relationships These opportunities focus specifically on the number of partnerships across and capacity, according to Turcotte- advancing clinical understanding and skill Northern Ontario. Russak. “A key part of this placement is development related to Indigenous health promoting interprofessional approaches and northern practice, including remote Other clinical stakeholders will also to care, and improving knowledge about and rural environments. be invited to join the pilot placement the role occupational therapists and planning committee in order to facilitate physiotherapists can play in a team setting “This strategy aligns with many of expansion of these opportunities. like that of the Anishnawbe-Mushkiki the shared key priorities of both the Aboriginal Health Access Centre,” she says. Northern Ontario School of Medicine and “We’re excited not just about this pilot McMaster including social accountability, project, but also about the opportunity The Northern Studies Stream is a tripartite interprofessionalism and Indigenous to further develop this initiative, which agreement between NOSM, McMaster health,” says Turcotte-Russak. “The new ultimately will help to provide increased University and the Ministry of Health and placement at AMAHAC is another step access to rehabilitation services here in the Long-Term Care. The agreement has been forward in working towards those North, specifically for Indigenous people,” in existence since 1989, predating the priorities.” says Turcotte-Russak. founding of NOSM by 16 years. Stakeholders at AMAHAC, the Northern Through the Northern Studies Stream, Studies Stream and in the Rehabilitation hundreds of physiotherapy and Sciences at NOSM will use the knowledge VOLUME 18 | ISSUE 2 | NORTHERN PASSAGES 3 Dr. Claudette Chase, Site Director for the Remote First Nation Family Medicine Residency stream, and Dr. Deepak Murthy, the first resident accepted to the program stream. NEW RESIDENCY STREAM TRAINS DOCTORS IN EABAMETOONG FIRST NATION The Northern Ontario School of Medicine , Matawa First Dr. Claudette Chase, Site Director for the Remote First Nation Nations Management and Eabametoong First Nation signed an Family Medicine Residency stream, is present during the second agreement in 2016 to create a new Remote First Nations Family interview, but does not have a say in the final decision about Medicine Residency stream. which resident will be accepted into the stream. The new stream allows medical school graduates to complete “Our goal for this residency stream is to produce culturally their Family Medicine residency in a remote First Nation competent residents who can deliver culturally safe care in a community in Northern Ontario. It also includes a return of First Nations community,” says Dr. Chase. “The partnership is service commitment to serve in Eabametoong or another not in name only. Power is actually being shared, and that is Matawa community for four years following the completion of different from most other things I’ve ever been involved in.” the residency. Molly Boyce, Family Medicine Community Residency Liaison The residency stream began as a pilot in December 2016 with Coordinator in Eabametoong First Nation, says she is excited the selection of the first resident, Dr. Deepak Murthy who about the community’s involvement in both the selection began in July 2017. Two more residents are starting this July. process and the curriculum design. “With this new program, we make that choice on who we’re going to allow to come into The application process for prospective residents is one the community and who’s allowed to assist us in our health hallmark of community direction to this new stream. care,” she says. “Our traditional medicines and way of life were Candidates participate in two rounds of interviews: the first put down for so many years, and it’s so exciting that there is with a selection panel that includes family medicine faculty recognition that there is a need for our traditional medicine, and a resident representative from NOSM, as well as members and the choice that this presents for us now as Native people.” of the First Nation community, to ensure the candidates meet the benchmark requirements for a family medicine resident in Murthy came to Canada approximately five years ago. He Canada; and a second with a selection panel that is made up says he has worked in rural and remote areas in India, and almost entirely of Eabametoong community members. was drawn to the idea of working in a similar environment 4 NORTHERN PASSAGES | VOLUME 18 | ISSUE 2 Molly Boyce (centre) participates in a sharing circle with representatives from NOSM, Matawa First Nations Management and community members from Eabametoong. Eabametoong First Nation, with a population of 1,500, is one of the larger communities in the Matawa First Nations Management Tribal Council and was selected as the initial site for the new residency stream because it has the resources to host a full-time physician. Matawa First Nation Management CEO David Paul Achneepineskum, NOSM Dean and CEO Dr. Roger Strasser and Eabametoong First Nation Chief Elizabeth Atlookan sign the agreement establishing the Remote First Nations Family Medicine Residency Stream. in Canada. “It’s a totally different culture, and I’ve enjoyed my necessity with a limited team of allied health professionals and time in Eabametoong so far,” he says. “I believe with acceptance where mental health, addiction, culture, community and history from the community earned through my training program and all intersect,” says Paul Capon, a Policy Analyst with Matawa First offering culturally safe care, I will quite like living and practising Nations Management. “We look forward to its development and there.” expansion.” Medical graduates accepted into the Remote First Nations Boyce says she hopes the residents who enter the program Family Medicine Residency stream undergo additional training can manage the challenges of living and working in the in order to meet the needs of the communities, says Dr. Chase. community. “Some people in the community are excited about Dr. Murthy has done obstetrics training, as well

Load more