In light of the upcoming National Indigenous Peoples Day, VPSA’s Engaging Physicians in Indigenous Cultural (EPIC) Safety Task Group is honoured to share information about EPIC, its goals and purpose. Indigenous peoples across Canada face many challenges in their daily lives that impact their health and well-being. This is reflected in the poor health outcomes and social problems that are disproportionate to other populations. The objectives of EPIC are to engage VCH physicians in co-creating education resources and learning opportunities with VCH Indigenous leadership in the ongoing process of cultural humility so as to assist VCH health professionals to take action in advancing culturally safe care for Indigenous patients and family caregivers.

There were several steps that helped build the case for the EPIC Task Group. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission released seven calls to action in 2015 that were specifically about health care. After this, VCH began offering Indigenous Cultural Safety training in 2018 as part of its commitment to becoming a culturally safe organization. The In Plain Sight report landed in 2020, with 24 recommendations to address systemic Indigenous-specific racism in the provincial health system. BC’s College of Physicians and Surgeons updated practice standards in 2022 regarding access to medical care without discrimination. The Province’s UNDRIP action plan in 2022 included expectations to improve the health and well-being of Indigenous families.

The stage was set with the provincial government’s funding of the interCultural Online Health Network (iCON) at UBC Faculty of Medicine Digital Emergency Medicine Unit. In collaboration with iCON, VPSA created its EPIC Task Group. Its mission is to prioritize and advance Indigenous cultural safety in health-care settings and is guided by meaningful partnerships with iCON and the provincial government, along with VCH Indigenous Health, First Nations Health Authority, Indigenous Elders and Indigenous community members. EPIC works to engage medical staff in the co-creation of education resources and learning opportunities around Indigenous cultural safety principles and how these can be effectively implemented.

iCON-VCH Indigenous Health Rounds (IHRs) play an important part. These rounds bring Indigenous voices to health-care professionals for knowledge sharing, dialogue and discussing ways to advance culturally safe care for Indigenous patients and families. A total of 20 IHRs to date has been completed and most can be viewed online. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive: 98 per cent of participants surveyed report they were satisfied with what they learned, and 96 per cent of respondents would recommend IHRs to others. Physicians who attend or watch recordings of IHRs are eligible for Mainpro+ credits. This National Indigenous Peoples Day, iCON and EPIC warmly invite you to review resources and recordings on its website, and to sign up for the mailing list to receive the latest updates.

As we recognize National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21, the EPIC Task Group reaffirms its commitment to advancing Indigenous cultural safety. This year, EPIC hopes to continue building relationships and trust with members of the Indigenous community, deepen its task group members’ learning through the guidance of Indigenous Elders and patient partners, and continue to expand its reach to medical and allied health professional trainees to reinforce the principles of cultural safety early in their professional practice.

As we look to the work ahead, EPIC Task Group Co-chair, Dr. Kendall Ho, reflected on the importance of listening to and learning from Indigenous communities: “It’s a great privilege to learn from Indigenous leaders and community members, who generously share their knowledge, wisdom, and perspectives, to guide the advancement of culturally safe care for Indigenous patients and their caregivers.”