Indigenous Health
Indigenous Patient Navigator (IPN) Program
Eastern Health’s Indigenous Patient Navigator (IPN) Program, introduced in 2009, is a bridge between Indigenous communities and their culture and their respective health professionals.
Indigenous patient navigators support Indigenous patients and their families by helping them to navigate the complexities of the health-care system. The IPN program offers support to First Nations, Inuit and Métis people who are referred to St. John’s for health-care treatment. With assistance from the IPN, patients and their families have a better understanding of their diagnosis, health-care plans and treatment options.
Indigenous patient navigators are also patient advocates, assisting and guiding the organization and other health providers in efforts to incorporate Indigenous cultural aspects into health-care services.
How an Indigenous patient navigator can help you
Indigenous patient navigators do a number of things to help their patients feel more at ease in the hospital setting. They:
- provide referral, advocacy and support to Indigenous patients to help them access the most appropriate health care and community services;
- arrange for translation services in Innu-Aimun and Inuktitut if required, to ensure patients and families understand the care provided;
- navigate patients to medical appointments; and
- make recommendations for, and assist with, accommodations, informed discharge planning and access to medical supplies.
Cancer care resources
Eastern Health’s Provincial Cancer Care Program has developed a series of Indigenous resources to support cancer care. Please follow the links below to access them:
- Cancer care glossaries and teaching aids
- My Journey booklet and posters
- Community and clinic profiles
Stories
To learn more about the Indigenous Patient Navigator Program, please read some of the stories regarding Indigenous Health services at Eastern Health.
Contact Us
The Indigenous Patient Navigator can be found on the main floor of the Health Sciences Centre, Room 2764 across from the Concord Parking booth.
To contact an Indigenous patient navigator, please call: 709-777-2199, 709-777-2110 or 709-777-8462.
Hours of operation
Monday to Friday
8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.