FNHC Infobulletin Volume 1 Issue 3 | October 2008 - First Nations ...

First Nations Health Council | October 2008 Infobulletin | page 10North American Indigenous Games2008 – August 3-10, 2008The NAIG games were a success and so wasthe information booth for the First NationsHealth Council and Health Careers Recruitment.Much interest was shown in our materialand promotional items, such as post-itpens, picture frame magnets, pedometers,wellness diaries and stainless steel waterbottles; thus, drawing attention from all agegroups.One of the biggest hits was the pedometercombined with a wellness diary. Traffic atthe booth was steady with approximately100+ visitors a day. About 90% of thepeople visiting the booth were unaware ofthe First Nations Health Council or how theTripartite Agreement affected them. Commonquestions/comments included the difficultiesthose are having in access to visionand dental care with the new policies withup front payment. Others expressed lackof access and funding for EHS in their areaendangering low income families health. Afew other comments were made that due toa lack of resources their video-conferencingequipment is not being used to its neededcapacity.HIGHLIGHTS>>The Health Council boothdrew over 1000 visitorsover the course of thegames>>Information sharing aboutthe Tripartite Health Plan,and Health Careers>>34 potential BC FirstNations health careersstudents identified.Health Careers Recruitment officer Erin Mearns (Klahoose First Nation) was on hand at the NAIGand spoke to many First Nations youth and adults about the opportunities in Health Careers.All questions/comments posed weredirected to the appropriate contact of theFirst Nations Health Council for further assistance.Despite the lack of awareness of theHealth Council or TripartiteAgreement, people wereeager to find out, collectedmuch of our information andwere excited to see what thefuture holds.With an attractive new banner,the Health Careers tableadjoined to the Health Council table waseven busier. An activity to increase awarenessof the need for aboriginal people toenter health careers was carried out withthe incentive of giveaways. This provedmuch success and we witnessed othersbringing family members and friends toparticipate at a later time. Parents, grandparentsand youth took much interest in notonly our ‘future health professional’ pictureframe magnets, but also the Health CareerGuidebooks. Approximately 320 guidebookswere handed out and all 1000 magnets weregiven away.It was overheard from other attendeeswitnessing young children were statingthey wanted to be doctors when theygrow up.It was overheard from other attendeeswitnessing young children were stating theywanted to be doctors when they grow up.Prospective health career students contactinformation was recorded and they werealso rewarded with stainless steel waterbottles. Those enrolled in a health careeror close to it also received usb bracelets. Intotal 34 potential BC First Nations healthcareer students were identified.