Alberta hires Indigenous Patient Safety Investigator and Advocate

The Alberta Government has hired an Indigenous Patient Safety Investigator and Advocate to improve healthcare delivery and outcomes for First Nations, Métis and Inuit patients.

According to the government, Unfair treatment due to incidents of racism during the delivery of health care and lack of cultural safety can have an immeasurable impact on the health outcomes of First Nation, Métis and Inuit patients who have unique and diverse health needs.

To address this, Alberta’s government has hired Tony Cardinal as the province’s first Indigenous Patient Safety Investigator and Advocate.

A member of Good Fish Lake Cree Nation in Northern Alberta,  Cardinal has more than 30 years of experience supporting the care and well-being of Indigenous Peoples. He will work out of the Office of Alberta’s Health Advocates and will lead investigations, make recommendations to improve experiences, and help First Nations, Métis and Inuit patients address concerns by providing culturally safe support, navigation, education and information throughout the patient complaint process.

In a statement, Cardinal says his goal is to create a safe and inclusive space for open dialogue, free from bias and discrimination, where each Indigenous voice is valued and truly heard.

Earlier this week, news broke after an Indigenous man’s braids were cut off and thrown away while admitted to an Edmonton hospital.

Eve Adams went in May to visit her husband, Dexter Adams, at Royal Alexandra Hospital and found the 84-year-old’s braids, his eagle feather and some medicine in a garbage can.

He had been deemed at a high risk of falling and was in hospital waiting for a space to open in a long-term care facility. He died just over a month later.

According to AHS spokesperson Kerry Williamson, an internal investigation took place after the incident, but the results “are confidential”

He said AHS has since held three classes about the cultural significance of hair for Indigenous people. They were open to all hospital staff and volunteers, and new resources for staff have been added to its internal website.