Participant, Culturally-Safe Post Mortem Practices Working Group

Do you have experience that would help inform culturally safe engagement processes and practices with coroners and pathologists for First Nation families of infants and children affected by post mortem/autopsy procedures in BC?

Open to: First Nation Patient Partners across BC

Lead Organization or Department

Ministry of Health - Laboratory, Diagnostic and Blood Services Branch

Aim

As directed by the Letter of Mutual Accountability 2017/18 between the Ministry of Health and the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA), this project seeks to establish formal processes that support culturally-safe engagement between families, BC Coroners Service and Pathologists that accommodate the family's needs and desires. Primary focus at this time is on infant/child autopsies and First Nations families. Role of the Patient Partner: To provide information and insight based on experience as well as from their own cultural perspectives. Please see the background section for detailed project objectives.

Level of Engagement

This opportunity is at the level of consult on the spectrum of engagement (http://ow.ly/aVte30fBTOK). The promise to you is that the health care partner will listen to and acknowledge your ideas and concerns, and provide feedback on how your input affected the decision.  

Eligibility

This engagement would benefit from the perspective of a First Nations patient partner who has family experience in the loss of an infant or child and subsequent autopsy. The request is for a patient partner who is comfortable sharing their story or the story of a family member in an open forum with representatives of various organizations including BC Coroner's Service, Pathologists and BC Children's Hospital.

• If you have a strong interest in this work but have not yet completed a PVN orientation and volunteer agreement, are unsure if your experience is a good fit or feel another format of engagement would work better with your availability, please contact Jacquelyne Foidart at jfoidart@bcpsqc.ca or toll free at 1.877.282.1919.

Logistics

Vacancies: 2 Format: The Patient Partner(s) will be asked to attend one (possibly two), working sessions where project stakeholders will be brought together to discuss the current state of post mortem practices in BC, the challenges, the vision and how we can collaborate to standardize the incorporation of cultural safety into family engagement and informed consent regarding post mortem practices in BC. Details: Tentative meetings scheduled at this point for February 7 and March 7 (to be held in person, in Vancouver)  

Reimbursement

The PVN Partner can be reimbursed for travel expenses to attend meetings in accordance with Government of British Columbia travel policy for Group 2 non-government employees. All travel expenses must be paid by the individual (except for airfare, which may be billed directly to the Ministry). Original receipts and proof of payment are required.

Background

The incorporation of cultural safety and cultural humility into the delivery of health care services for First Nations and Indigenous peoples is a priority for the FNHA. In may 2014, the FNHA and BC Coroner's Service (BCCS) signed a Memorandum of Understand that brings the organizations together to work collaboratively to ensure the BCCS considers and respects cultural practices, customs and family perspectives while undertaking its statutory role. As mentioned above, a 2017/18 Letter of Mutual Accountability between the Ministry of Health and the FNHA, and subsequent development of a Joint Project Board between the FNHA and the Ministry of Health has led to this joint project which seeks to establish formal processes that support culturally-safe engagement between families, BCCS and pathologists that accommodate the family's needs and desires. In addition to a patient partner, we will be engaging with representatives from the FNHA, BC's Agency for Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, BC Coroner's Service, Pathologists and BC Children's Hospital (complete stakeholder list to be finalized). A Project Charter and other related project materials are presently being drafted. Reference materials that may be of interest to the potential patient partner(s) are available. The project objectives at this time include: (1) Establishing a working team with representation from identified stakeholders, (2) support collaboration among stakeholder groups in activities relating to culturally safe post mortem processes and practices for all coronial investigations and post mortem services/autopsies of children and infants in BC, and (3) develop recommendations for next steps in 2018/19 to develop sustainable cultural safety and humility in the delivery of coronial post mortem services. Purpose of engaging Patient Partners in this work: We are hoping to hear from a few patient partners who have had experience with post mortem services in BC - specifically from a First Nations perspective. We would like to better understand the patient experience to help inform the work and development of recommendations.

Health Care Partner Contact Information

Jacquelyne Foidart
Engagement Leader, Patient and Public Engagement | Thompson Cariboo
250.879.1077
jfoidart@bcpsqc.ca