The Primary Care Network (PCN) employs two Cultural Wellness Navigators across Haida Gwaii — one based at the XaaydaGa Dlaang Society (Skidegate Health Centre) and the other at Niislaa Naay Healing House Society. These navigators play an important role in helping patients access and navigate healthcare services in our remote and rural communities.
Cultural Wellness Navigators support patients in a variety of ways, including helping arrange travel to and from medical appointments, assisting with cultural care conversations, and working closely with primary care providers such as family doctors and nurse practitioners. They help community members overcome barriers to accessing care and advocate for Indigenous patients in navigating Western healthcare systems.
Their work can make a meaningful difference in whether patients are able to receive the care they need.
A nurse practitioner on Haida Gwaii recently shared this experience:
“We discussed a patient who would have had to miss a week and a half of work to travel for care. Our cultural navigator was able to look at other options, find the right requisition forms, and help plan something more feasible. That kind of support can make or break whether someone actually accesses care.”
By helping patients feel supported, informed, and connected, Cultural Wellness Navigators strengthen access to care and improve patient experiences across Haida Gwaii.
