The Sts’ailes Community Care Campus (SCCC), which will be owned and operated by the Sts’ailes First Nation, broke ground in Harrison Mills, B.C.

“When it opens, the Sts’ailes Community Care Campus will provide a fully integrated blend of contemporary medical services and person-first, culturally appropriate health and wellness services to Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities and residents alike,” said Minister of Health Adrian Dix.

The campus will combine primary health care, social services and Indigenous health supports into one team that will provide culturally safe, person-first health-care services to residents in Harrison Mills and north of the Fraser River between Agassiz and Mission, while restoring traditional laws of health and wellness. Once fully staffed, patients will benefit from approximately 14.7 full-time health-care workers, including primary-care providers, Traditional Healers and allied health practitioners, as well as administration support, leadership and clinical services.

“Our vision is to ensure everyone living in the northern Fraser region has access to the health-care services they need and deserve. The SCCC will weave together traditional and contemporary approaches to health care to help several individuals, families and communities access timely, person-centred health-care that is closer to their homes,” said Angela George, SCCC clinic director.

The campus will work collaboratively with the Chilliwack Primary Care Network. Several more First Nations-led primary-care centres are being planned as part of the province’s primary-care strategy.

The First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) has existing partnerships with First Nations primary health-care centres in Fraser Health and throughout the province. FNHA will continue to engage with these partners, including First Nations communities, the Ministry of Health and Fraser Health, to support the provision of culturally safe care for Indigenous Peoples in the region.