Medical Services
We offer mainstream medical services as well as access to traditional medicine. These services are offered by the following disciplines:
Nursing
The nursing program at CINHS combines standardized nursing care and a mindful approach to the unique nursing services required at CINHS. The nurses bring a strong sense of compassion and caring to all the clients at CINHS through the evolution of care plans for each person that focus on breaking the cycle of loss and alienation from culture and family. An example of this focus is the program for moms at risk for losing their babies, or for those who have lost children and are in the process of getting them back by creating a circle of support for the young moms, and supporting them in effective parenting, helps restore the traditional and integrated family structures which are so successful in Aboriginal culture.
Doctors
CINHS has a group of family physicians who work together with the health care team to provide longitudinal primary care services. In addition to clinic appointments, the doctors provide inpatient hospital care, nursing home care and 24/7 on call services. Access to physiciains who provide prenatal care, specialist care and the methadone maintenance program is also facilitated. CINHS is proud to be a clinical teaching site for medical, nursing and social work students as well as medical residents during their family medicine and psychiatry training.
Nurse Practitioners
Central Interior Native Health is proud to have a nurse practitioner on staff. This is an innovative position that is still very new in the province. Nurse practitioners are registered nurses who have received additional education and certification that gives them the authority to initiate and carry out certain medical procedures either on their own responsibility or as directed by a doctor.
NPs were introduced under an amendment to the Provincial Health Act in 2003 with the intent of improving “client health outcomes by increasing accessibility to health care services and filling gaps that presently exist in health care delivery.” CINHS has historically experienced a shortage of available physicians and we are confident NPs will be one of the solutions to attempting to fill the gap.