The New Brunswick Medical Society is proud to announce a new partnership with the First Nations Addressing Anti-Indigenous Racism Working Group (FNAAIRWG) to advance understanding, awareness, and action related to anti-Indigenous racism within New Brunswick’s health-care system.
Led by the First Nations Addressing Anti-Indigenous Racism Working Group, in collaboration with Sankewitahasuwakon, the three-year initiative, Accelerating Partnerships: Addressing Anti-Indigenous Racism (AAIR) in New Brunswick, will bring together physicians, Indigenous leaders, patients, health professionals, and community partners to better understand experiences within the health system and identify opportunities for meaningful change.
The project recognizes that culturally unsafe experiences and systemic racism continue to affect Indigenous Peoples’ interactions with health-care services. Through research, engagement, and education, the initiative seeks to help create a more culturally safe and equitable health-care environment for First Nations communities while equipping physicians with practical tools and knowledge to support that goal.
As part of the first phase of the project, physicians across New Brunswick will be invited to participate in interviews, surveys, and focus groups designed to better understand current knowledge, experiences, challenges, and opportunities related to Indigenous health and cultural safety. The findings will inform the development of educational resources and future curriculum tailored to physicians and other health-care professionals.
The work will also include engagement with First Nations communities, Indigenous patient navigators, health centres, and advocacy organizations to ensure Indigenous voices guide the project’s direction and outcomes.
A Commitment to Listening and Learning
The Accelerating Partnerships: Addressing Anti-Indigenous Racism initiative reflects physicians’ responsibility to foster respectful, culturally safe care for all patients.
“We know that improving health outcomes requires more than excellence in clinical care. It requires listening, learning, and building trust. Through this partnership, physicians will have the opportunity to better understand the experiences of Indigenous Peoples within the health-care system and identify meaningful actions we can take together to advance culturally safe care across New Brunswick,” said Dr. Carl Boucher, President of the New Brunswick Medical Society.
Dr. Boucher noted that the work is intended to support physicians at every stage of their careers.
“Our goal is not simply to raise awareness, but to provide physicians with practical knowledge, perspectives, and tools that can strengthen relationships with Indigenous patients, improve care experiences, and contribute to a more equitable health system for future generations.”
Indigenous-Led Approach
The project is being led by Indigenous health leaders and builds on previous work undertaken to address anti-Indigenous racism among mental health professionals in New Brunswick.
Roxanne Sappier, Executive Director of Sankewitahasuwakon and Co-Chair of the First Nations Addressing Anti-Indigenous Racism Working Group, said the partnership represents an important opportunity to work collaboratively with physicians.
“Meaningful change happens when we create space to listen to one another and work together toward shared goals. We are encouraged by the NBMS’s commitment to this work and its willingness to engage physicians in conversations about cultural safety, relationships, and reconciliation.”
Sappier said Indigenous perspectives and lived experiences will remain at the centre of the initiative.
“This project is about more than education. It is about creating stronger partnerships between First Nations communities and the medical profession, learning from experiences within the health system, and identifying practical solutions that can improve care for Indigenous patients and families across New Brunswick.”
Opportunities for Physician Participation
Over the coming months, NBMS members will be invited to participate in:
- Virtual focus groups in both English and French
- An online physician survey
- Future discussions on educational resources and curriculum development
Participation from physicians representing a variety of practice settings, specialties, and regions will be essential to ensuring the project reflects the realities of medical practice in New Brunswick.
The NBMS encourages members to take part when opportunities arise and to contribute their perspectives as this important work unfolds.
Together, through dialogue, partnership, and a shared commitment to culturally safe care, we can help build a health-care system where Indigenous patients feel respected, heard, and supported.
Nora Lacey, Chief of Physician & Patient Engagement
