Karen Meades, CA

The Inuit are in a period of transition, from a nomadic way of life and reliance on country food, to a life of living in settled communities. Increased reliance on processed foods is of great concern. From a medical perspective, this transition has put Inuit at risk for chronic diseases such as Tuberculosis, diabetes, and other modern diseases such as cancer – to address these issues OHSNI implemented a primary care program, in conjunction with the family health department of the University of Ottawa – whereby a family medical practitioner is present in the North throughout the year – educating and caring for the Inuit population in a broad spectrum of preventative and curative care.

OHSNI is working to improve the health status of the Inuit. The program has tripled in its 10 years of operation providing case management and delivery of specialty health care services to Baffin residents referred to medical specialists in Ottawa. Our program also includes interpretation services.   Baffin-Larga, a separate corporation, provides food, accommodation and transportation for the Baffin patients.

Innovation is a core value in everything we do, from program development and evolution, to partnerships with the educational sectors and the North, to the creative and efficient use of limited resources. OHSNI is committed to providing access to new innovations in health service delivery, specifically: tele-health is well-established within our program providing consultation, follow-up and family visits as well as physician training and access to expert medical resources.

From our nurses, who provide continuity of care, complete discharge planning, inform family members of a patient’s progress, provide crises management, and oversee child safety issues; to our interpreters,  providing Inuktitut/ English professional communication services for patients, their escorts and hospital personnel daily, and more: OHSNI staff have had a positive impact on virtually every aspect of Inuit health. OHSNI is committed to continuing to provide the health experiences and environment that foster such development and nurture what can best be described as the "OHSNI spirit."

OHSNI is well known for offering an extremely high quality health care management service as well as for cultivating a closely-knit staff.

OHSNI is a not-for-profit organization with a strong sense of self, a resounding spirit, and a deep commitment to our purpose. We recognize the implications of the transition for Canada’s Inuit, of the country's evolving demographics, of the worldwide advances in technology, of increasing globalization and of the blinding speed at which change occurs. We have an extremely strong tradition of Inuit culturally- sensitive involvement and a passion for helping make Canada’s Inuit health even better.

I encourage you to learn more about our fine organization! A great way to do so is to visit us virtually as you tour this Web site.

Karen Meades, CA