Sioux Lookout health centre to have big impact on local and regional economies.

Combining traditional healing, medicines, foods and support programs with Western medical technologies will soon become a reality for the Sioux Lookout Meno-Ya-Win Health Centre and the 28 surrounding communities it services.

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The new centre will also be a healthy pill for the local economy, according to officials.

As one of the most comprehensive programs of its kind in Canada, the new health centre is intended to combine hospital and community-based programs to meet the needs of its high Aboriginal population.

Although legally amalgamated in 2002, Meno-Ya-Win's combined set of health services currently operate out of seven sites, two of which are hospitals, with a combined total of 41 beds. The service area extends across 385,000 square kilometres, about one-quarter of Ontario's land mass, and serves a population of 26,747, of which more than 80 per cent are Anishnabe people.

CEO Roger Walker says the new health centre is planned to have 60 beds, 47 for acute care, five for withdrawal management and eight for complex continuing care. The physical space is expected to expand from the current 100,000 square feet to 139,000 sq. ft.

In 1997, a four-party agreement was signed between NAN (Nishnawbe-Aski Nation), the Town of Sioux Lookout and the two levels of government. There had been talk of consolidating the two hospitals for more than 20 years says Douglas Semple, chair of the board of directors.

In 2001, the Meno-Ya-Win Health Centre was established. The name Meno-Ya-Win refers to the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of the healing process, the same components upon which the medicine wheel is based.

Using this philosophy, programming was developed, which integrates traditional healing medicines, foods (THMF) and support programs to operate in conjunction with other hospital and community-based health services.

Based upon the THMF document, the five areas are:

* Odabiidamageg (Governance and Leadership) where there will be a board, elders council and management and leadership;

* Weecheewaywin (Patient Supports) involving elders in residence, patient support workers, designated interpreters for translation, cultural awareness and training and First Nations employment;

* Andaaw' Iwe Win (Healing Practices) with ceremonial practices and certified healers;

* Mishkiki (Traditional Medicines) using herbal remedies; and

* Miichim (Traditional Foods).

Other programs that will be new to the centre are mammography (breast cancer screening and diagnostic mammography) and chiropody (foot care), as well as approved space for computed tomography (CT), with the intent to have a CT unit operational once the building is up.

As a significant, large-scale project for Sioux Lookout, Walker says it will generate many opportunities for employment, business, and education and training for the town and surrounding communities.

He says the centre will be home to 300 jobs, mostly relocated from other centres. That figure does include 30-50 new jobs, however.

In addition to the $75-million hospital, parallel projects, such as a new hostel and physician's building, will accompany future construction, potentially pushing the combined value over $100 million. Other allied help buildings may also go up on the same site, in addition to the potential reconstruction of the long-term care facility.

To date, the federal government has contributed $37.4 million, approximately 44 per cent of the projected cost. Under the terms of the 1997 agreement, the provincial government is committed to provide half of the funding, of which $6.5 million has been put toward planning and design. The local share is estimated at $2.5 million.

Some preliminary site work has been done. They expect to be in construction by the summer of 2007, with the building complete and ready for occupancy in the fall of 2009.

Walker says they are looking at this as a major opportunity for the generation of wealth in the communities. Collaboratively, they are working with the Nishnawbe-Aski Development Fund, the Sioux Lookout Area Aboriginal Management Board and the Municipality of Sioux Lookout Development Office to make sure the core and associated projects work in a complimentary way to the development plans of these various organizations.

Only about 20 per cent of the local workforce is Aboriginal. Proponents of the Health Centre intend to bring that number up, to better reflect the population. Part of this approach is to bring awareness in the form of job fairs to the communities.

"We're having job fairs with the First Nations communities over the next month or two and more specific activities to try and start moving in that direction," Walker says. "We're also directing a portion of the job fair at the general public ... for any person in school or out, to learn about what the future employment opportunities are."

www.slmhc.on.ca

By ADELLE LARMOUR

Northern Ontario Business