Health Services
Vision: Blood Tribe members to be living in a holistic lifestyle in healthy communities
Mission: To improve, promote and deliver accredited health services on the Blood Reserve and support Chief & Council in ensuring the protection of treaty health rights.
Community Health Services delivers the following services to the Blood Tribe Community: Prenatal/Maternal/Infant Health Program, Preschool Program, School Program, Adult Program, Communicable Disease Control, Tuberculosis Control, Kainai Diabetes Program, First Steps for Healthy Babies, Harm Reduction, Cancer Project and Environmental Public Health Services.
Mandatory Programs
Communicable Disease Control:
Communicable Disease Control (CDC) activities are part of an overall regional public health program aimed at protecting and promoting health through the prevention and control of communicable disease. CDC is a mandatory program that functions within the context of the Alberta Public Health Act.
Tuberculosis Control:
Tuberculosis (TB) Control is a mandatory public health program. Responsibilities are shared between the First Nations communities, FNIH and Alberta Health and Wellness TB Control.
Community Health Nurses (CHN’s) and Community Health Representatives (CHR’s)/Health Care Aides (HCA’s) together with regional staff, work as a team to implement the various areas of TB programming. These areas include managing the delivery of client care in active cases, assessing contact of active TB cases, administering TB medications by Directly Observed Therapy (DOT), screening groups at risk for disease and infection, and providing community TB education.
Environmental Public Health Services:
Environmental Public Health Services (EPHS) is a mandatory program designed to protect communities against communicable diseases such as water-borne, food-borne, and vector-borne (eg. mosquito) illnesses and exposure to environmental conditions in the natural and built/physical environment that influence human health and well-being.
Environmental Health Officers (EHO’s) provide advice, guidance, education, public health inspection and recommendations to First Nations and their leadership (Chief and Council) to help them manage public health risks associated with our surrounding environment. Routine activities are provided as per community work plans that are agreed upon by EHO’s, and Chief and Council.
Addressing community environmental public health issues is a partnership between band officials, community health staff and EPHS.
Core Programs
Prenatal/Maternal/Infant Health Program:
Services provided during pregnancy to baby’s first birthday, including prenatal home visits, prenatal classes, postnatal home visits and immunization.
Preschool Program:
Services provided for children, age one to five, including high-risk follow up, immunization, preschool assessment and parenting education.
School Program:
Services for children, age six to eighteen, including immunization for students in the Kainai schools, (Kainai Board of Education), preventative health education and follow-up for well children with chronic health problems.
Adult Program:
Services for adults over 18 years of age, including adult immunization, adult preventative health and health promotion.
Well Baby/Child/Adult Immunization Clinics:
* Standoff: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
* Cardston (Provincial Building): Wednesday, 1:00 to 4:00 pm.
Kainai Schools (Kainai Board of Education):
Immunization and health promotion are done at the schools. These include:
* Head Start/K4/K5
* Saipoyi and Aahsaopi Elementary (Grades: 1-4)
* Middle School (Grades: 5-8)
* Kainai High School (Grades: 9-12)
* Youth Ranch
* Youth Treatment Centre
* Alternative School
* Red Crow College.
Kainai Diabetes Program:
Provides diabetes care, education and support.
* Diabetes Prevention Programs: Kainai High School diabetes prevention and screening, community garden workshops, Itaamopokaiksi Gardening Project, yearly Diabetes Walk, walking programs, community screening and cooking classes.
First Steps for Healthy Babies:
The First Steps for Healthy Babies program provides an intensive mentorship program that meets the following criteria:
* Client is pregnant or up to six-weeks postpartum and have used alcohol/drugs during pregnancy or
* Have previously had a child diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) or
* Have been diagnosed with FADS or strongly suspect to have FASD and are ineffectively connected to community services.
Our goal is to reduce the high ratio of alcohol-related births in the Blood Tribe community.
Harm Reduction:
The Community Health Harm Reduction office offers on and off site free, compassionate and confidential services by a Registered Nurse, to reduce the harmful impact of stigma and discrimination, and the harm associated with substance abuse.
The Harm Reduction RN provides education and awareness of harm reduction through presentations and with partnerships in the communities. Harm Reduction office distributes safe injection supplies and safe inhalation packs. This needle exchange program promotes clean needles and decreases the risk of spreading communicable disease. We provide Naloxone kit distribution, dispensing and education for prevention and response training for Opioid Overdose.
Hours of Operation: Monday to Friday, 8:30-4:30.
Cancer Project: is a three year initiative to support change in cancer prevention and screening with Alberta First Nations communities.
Children’s Oral Health Initiative (COHI):
Is an early oral health intervention service targeted for First Nation’s children living on-reserve. COHI aims to promote good oral health habits, improve access to preventative oral health care and preventive activities, and promote good general health and eating habits.
Contact Person:
If you have any questions or concerns regarding Community Health Services, please contact Lori Healy, Director @ (403) 737-3933/ (403) 737-2377 (Fax)/e-mail: lori.h@btdh.ca
Mailing Address:
BTDH Community Health Services
P.O. Box 148
Hwy. 2, Main Street
STANDOFF, AB T0L 1Y0