Our Commitment and Acknowledgement
The Timmins and District Hospital (TADH) operates within the traditional lands of the Mattagami First Nation, located in Treaty 9 territory. Our team is committed to building strong, lasting relationships with Indigenous communities as we acknowledge the diversity, history and heritage of Indigenous people in the North.
Safe and Appropriate Care
Our team is dedicated providing culturally-safe and appropriate care that supports improved health outcomes for all Indigenous peoples.
Indigenous Land Acknowledgement
TADH recognizes the important contributions that all First Nations, Métis, Inuit, and other Indigenous peoples have made in shaping and strengthening our community and system of care.
Indigenous Services
In partnership with the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority, TADH provides Indigenous Patient Navigation services to help guide patients and their loved ones. This service also helps provides culturally appropriate supports throughout a patients stay.
Services include
- Culturally appropriate support
- Assistance with translation
- Discharge planning
- Assistance in travel planning
- Patient and family advocacy
Have a Question?
Elizabeth Etherington – Patient Advocate/Interpreter
Phone: 705-267-2131 ext 2666
Mushkegowuk Patient Advisory Services
Patient advocacy services are available for Indigenous patients and clients from the Mushkegowuk region. This service is provided for on and off First Nation reserve members.
A patient advocate is a trained professional who is there to help patients and their families receive the best health care possible. Patient advocates ensure patients understand their rights within the health care system, and can help with a variety of services depending on their individual needs.
Have a Question?
Shayanne Beach
Patient Advocate Mushkegowuk Council – Mushkegowuk Health
Head Office: 12 Centre Road, Moose Factory, ON P0L 1W0
Email: shayannebeach@mushkegowuk.ca
Phone: 705-269-6662 ext 437
Cell: 705-406-5006
Fax: 1-888-777-5708
Resources
Spiritual Place
In 2009, TADH opened the doors of the newly constructed Spiritual Place to help meet the spiritual and cultural needs of our patients and their loved ones.
This specialized room is available 24/7 for patients, providing the opportunity to participate in healing ceremonies and a place for meditation. Constructed with a separate ventilation system, this room is equipped to allow for smudging ceremonies. Our team keeps the room stocked for any individuals wishing to participate in a smudging ceremony.
Hospital Reconciliation Action Plan
Our journey toward reconciliation begins with acknowledging the past: the impacts of colonialism, systemic inequities in healthcare, and the experiences of Indigenous patients who have faced barriers, discrimination, and harm. Recognizing these historical and contemporary realities, TADH is committed to building trust, fostering relationships, and creating culturally safe spaces where Indigenous patients feel respected and supported.
A critical part of this journey has been establishing the Indigenous Advisory Committee, which ensures that Indigenous voices inform hospital policies, programs, and practices. Through ongoing dialogue with community leaders and organizations, the Committee helps guide our priorities and ensures that reconciliation is embedded in both patient care and organizational culture.
Our journey is guided not only by these local relationships, but also by national frameworks that call for systemic change: the TRC Calls to Action, the UNDRIP articles on rights to culture and self-determination, and the MMIWG Calls for Justice. Together, these guideposts inform our initiatives across partnerships, patient care, education, and policy development.
(the plan is only available in English)
