Indigenous Health
Aboriginal Patient Navigator (APN) Program
Aboriginal Patient Navigator (APN) ProgramEastern Health’s Aboriginal Patient Navigator (APN) Program, introduced in 2009, is a bridge between Aboriginal communities and their culture and their respective health professionals.
Aboriginal patient navigators support Aboriginal patients and their families by helping them to navigate the complexities of the health-care system. The APN 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 APN, patients and their families have a better understanding of their diagnosis, health-care plans and treatment options.
Aboriginal patient navigators are also patient advocates, assisting and guiding the organization and other health providers in efforts to incorporate Aboriginal cultural aspects into health-care services.
How an Aboriginal patient navigator can help you
Aboriginal 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 Aboriginal 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 Aboriginal 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 Aboriginal Patient Navigator Program, please read some of the stories regarding Indigenous Health services at Eastern Health.
Contact Us
The Aboriginal Patient Navigator office is located in:
Room 2J705
Health Sciences Centre, Main Entrance (Yellow Brick Rd.)
around corner from Tim’s Horton’s seating area.
To contact an Aboriginal patient navigator, please call: 709-777-2199 or 709-777-2110.
Hours of operation
Monday to Friday
8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.