Providing Medical Services & Health Education
The SSHS Nursing Program addresses the medical needs of The People of its member Nations. From community health services such as immunizations to patient advocacy, the program addresses pressing health care issues in N̓Quatqua, Samahquam, Skatin, and Xa’xtsa Nations. The Nursing Program works to empower community members about health management through education and informed health information access. The women and men who work in this program are committed to health delivery that is capacity-based. This means that the goal of the program is to shift the power for seeking, procuring and maintaining health and wellness roles to the SSHS member communities. Nursing continues to acquaint the Nations leadership with the FNHA model of health delivery that, in contrast to the Health Canada model, puts the power into the hands of The People. The Nursing Program is divided into three areas: Community Health, Home and Community Support and Men’s Health. Each of these three “sub-programs” provides specific services but all work in tandem to ensure delivery of appropriate services.
Community Health Services
- Immunizations
- Screening for Tuberculosis
- Communicable Disease reporting
- Pandemic Planning
- Health education and awareness campaigns to prevent the incidence of diabetes in the community
- Health referrals and education
- Nutritional information
- Health Promotion and Prevention
- information – e.g. nutrition, exercise, tobacco, sexually transmitted illnesses, healthy sexuality, etc
- support for self-management
Home & Community Care Services
- Provision of ongoing assessments.
- Visits range from monthly as needed to weekly
- Advocacy for members with physicians, hospital, etc.
- Respite Care services
- Limited palliative Care services
- Review of care plans making the necessary changes
- Workers provide culturally appropriate services for each member
- Staff provide advocacy and support for members to access other needed services
Nursing Team
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Erica VanzantenNurse Practitioner -
Coral TiptonNurse
Providing Medical Services & Health Education
The SSHS Nursing Program addresses the medical needs of The People of its member Nations. From community health services such as immunizations to patient advocacy, the program addresses pressing health care issues in N̓Quatqua, Samahquam, Skatin, and Xa'xtsa Nations. The Nursing Program works to empower community members about health management through education and informed health information access. The women and men who work in this program are committed to health delivery that is capacity-based. This means that the goal of the program is to shift the power for seeking, procuring and maintaining health and wellness roles to the SSHS member communities. Nursing continues to acquaint the Nations leadership with the FNHA model of health delivery that, in contrast to the Health Canada model, puts the power into the hands of The People. The Nursing Program is divided into three areas: Community Health, Home and Community Support and Men’s Health. Each of these three “sub-programs” provides specific services but all work in tandem to ensure delivery of appropriate services.
Nurse Practitioner, Erica Vanzanten, has been working with the SSHS since 2015. Working autonomously and in collaboration with health care professionals and other individuals, she provides a full range of primary, acute and specialty health care services. Erica manages patients' overall care: diagnosing and treating acute and chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure, infections, and injuries; prescribing medications and other treatments; and ordering, performing and interpreting diagnostic tests such as lab work and X-rays. As well, she provides disease prevention education and information about health and lifestyle choices.
Joining SSHS in _________, Nurse Coral Tipton fulfilled a career goal of working with First Nations communities in a clinical nursing context. She brings to SHSS a strong clinical back-ground with an expertise in what is best described as Harm Reduction. Coral has been Nursing since 1998, Coral was employed with Vancouver General Hospital for eight years, this allowed her to understand the referral and medical system. She believes in opening all avenues and resources to clients in order to improve their physical and mental well-being. Coral is a proponent of collaboration with Community Health Representatives (CHRs) and allied health professionals, and incorporating traditional/holistic healing practices into her work. Coral's fully committed to the growth of SSHS as it continues to serve its member Nations in increasingly dynamic ways.