A new modern First Nations Primary Care Centre (FNPCC) will soon be ready to serve First Nations communities in and around Fort St. James in northern BC. The Dadzi Wellness Centre has been renovated to transform a former educational facility into a modern health care facility that is deeply rooted in Dakelh culture and traditions.
Part of the First Nations-led Primary Care Initiative (FNPCI), the Dadzi Wellness Centre combines Western clinical practices with First Nations knowledge to deliver wholistic health care closer to home. Donald Prince is the Operations Director for the centre and he explains in the video below what makes the Dadzi Wellness Centre different from other primary care centres.
“That's what makes it different I think because we're looking at the whole aspect of the human, the person. Whether they have trauma in their life or whether they have medical issues, addictions, those kinds of things, I think it's really important to look at all aspects with whatever is going on with somebody and to help them from that point of view, from where they're at and that's what makes it different."
Being rooted in culture goes to the heart of what FNPCCs are about. The centre's design reflects Dakelh culture throughout. Its logo features a loon, seen as a traditional healer in Dakelh teachings, and rooms are named in the Dakelh language.
For example, the waiting room is called “huba ts'ilh-i" and its literal translation is “where we wait for them." Some translations required a bit of creativity to approximate the English equivalent. The occupational therapy room translates to “n yunch 'oh hoont' i nla tinilh", which means “they help you become happy", while the private touchdown room is “dich'oh neni hunuzut-un" or the “place to give your mind a rest."
Services are another area where the Dadzi Wellness Centre is going back to traditional roots. The centre plans to provide traditional wellness programs such as language classes and traditional practices alongside services like physiotherapy and dietician-led sessions. These programs will complement regular medical care to meet the wholistic health care needs of the community.
“People can know when they come here they know they're going to get their care and they're going to get their needs met as opposed to, here's a pill and see you later sort of thing. We're going to ask questions, we're going to talk to them and look at the whole aspect of their health in terms of family, their work, and how can we help this person from a whole point of view."
The final piece that differentiates the Dadzi Wellness Centre from other medical centres is the focus on the patient. The centre aims to feel warm and inviting rather than a cold and clinical medical centre. To that end, the interior design and furnishings include art and decor that reflect the local community.
“Well I think this is an exciting thing for this community and for our people here. It's going to meet our needs, fully, once we're up and operating. I anticipate we're going to have really good quality care that's going to be accessible for our people."
Currently, the Dadzi Wellness Centre is offering limited services. For anyone in the Fort St. James community who would like to learn more about available services can email:
DadziWellness@fnha.ca.
