Latest news with #Ongomiizwin
Global News
18-06-2025
- Health
- Global News
Indigenous, Black patients waiting longer to be seen in Winnipeg ERs: report
Race-based data collected in Manitoba's health-care systems suggests Indigenous, African and Black patients are waiting longer in Winnipeg emergency rooms and often leave without seeing a doctor. A report examining visits to emergency rooms and broken down by race says African and Black patients are triaged at the same rate as other racial groups, but are waiting the longest, upwards of five hours in some cases. It also says Indigenous patients are visiting hospitals for similar triage reasons compared with white patients, countering the idea that Indigenous people are using emergency departments inappropriately. Manitoba says it is the first in Canada to collect voluntary race-based data from patients when they register for care as a way to reduce systemic racism within the health-care system. The report looked at the more than 618,000 emergency room visits that occurred between May 2023 and September 2024. Story continues below advertisement Project lead Dr. Marcia Anderson says the initial analysis shows that racism can be a factor affecting wait times and care provided by Manitoba's emergency departments. Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'Emergency departments are very stressful environments, and the health system is facing many challenges in these areas,' Anderson told reporters Tuesday. 'Unfortunately, in a system under stress, it is often those who are the most marginalized and who have the fewest resources to draw on who face the most severe impacts.' The report says the vast majority of people who leave against medical advice are Indigenous, accounting for almost two-thirds of all patients who do. More is needed to offer a positive therapeutic environment so patients don't feel the need to leave, said Anderson. It also finds that it is likely Indigenous, African and Black patients who are systemically receiving lower triage scores than white people, suggesting that their concerns may not be taken seriously by hospital staff. Researchers were unable to give an analysis on all populations because for some, like Latin American and Filipino people, the data set was too small. Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said the initial data shows Indigenous, Black and racialized people experience some level of systemic discrimination. 'We have real data that tells a story about what's happening in our health-care system,' said Asagwara. Story continues below advertisement 'It's an incredible opportunity that we have in Manitoba to be a leader in this space and to really work together to improve the health outcomes and health care experiences for Manitobans.' The data was collected by Shared Health, the provincial health organization, as part of an initiative led by Ongomiizwin, the Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing at the University of Manitoba.
Winnipeg Free Press
17-06-2025
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
Union demands nurses be paid for anti-racism training
While the Manitoba government has recommended emergency department staff take part in cultural safety and anti-racism training, it stopped short of making it mandatory and gave no indication workers would be paid. 'Fundamentally, we know this is important,' Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said. 'We also know that health-care workers want access to these opportunities. I can tell you as a health-care worker for many years myself, when you spot a problem that you can be a part of solving, you want to be a part of that.' The recommendation follows the release of preliminary analysis of patient data, which indicates racism may contribute to differences in wait times and quality of care in Manitoba emergency departments. On May 11, 2023, Manitoba became the first province to collect voluntary race-based data during patient registration at hospitals and health centres. The report says Indigenous and Black patients wait the longest to be seen — a pattern consistent with previous research, said project lead, Dr. Marcia Anderson. 'As an immediate step, we have recommended that all emergency department team members be prioritized for participation in the 'We Will Take Good Care of The People Indigenous Cultural Safety and Anti-Racism' training,' Anderson said Tuesday. 'This training was developed by Ongomiizwin in partnership with Shared Health and the health regions.' Delivering the training is up to the province. Darlene Jackson, president of the Manitoba Nurses Union, said nurses need the time and resources to complete it. 'We're very firm in our collective agreement that any education that the employer expects is funded,' she said. 'Either you do it on a day where you're at work, or you're paid to go in and do it.' 'As an immediate step, we have recommended that all emergency department team members be prioritized for participation.'–Dr. Marcia Anderson Jackson warned that a recommendation, rather than a requirement, shifts the burden to individual nurses to complete it on their own time. She said she's concerned about the consequences for those who don't. Physicians are accustomed to completing training independently, said Dr. Shawn Young, chief operating officer of the Health Sciences Centre. He acknowledged that ideally, the training could happen during working hours, but staffing shortages make that difficult. Both Asagwara and Young emphasized the importance of eventually making such training a required component of medical education or early career development. Anderson said it takes an average of 12 hours to finish the 10-lesson course, and it must be done over a six-month period. There is also a recommendation for three one-on-one coaching sessions, separate from the online module and optional. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. 'This would likely be true for training on cultural safety and anti-Indigenous racism training, too,' a spokesperson for Doctors Manitoba said. 'We are working closely with the College of Physicians and Surgeons and others to ensure this training can be offered in a flexible way to make it as accessible as possible.' The program involves sessions with trained coaches so workers can apply the lessons to real-life challenges. Additional training options are available, including the First Nations Health and Social Secretariat Anti-Racism Training — part of what Anderson called the lifelong journey of anti-racism education. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES She said current training could accommodate 3,000 participants over the next year, with the potential to expand. Scott BilleckReporter Scott Billeck is a general assignment reporter for the Free Press. A Creative Communications graduate from Red River College, Scott has more than a decade's worth of experience covering hockey, football and global pandemics. He joined the Free Press in 2024. Read more about Scott. Every piece of reporting Scott produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
17-06-2025
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
Indigenous, Black patients waiting longer to be seen in Winnipeg ERs: report
WINNIPEG – Race-based data collected in Manitoba's health-care systems suggests Indigenous, African and Black patients are waiting longer in Winnipeg emergency rooms and often leave without seeing a doctor. A report examining visits to emergency rooms and broken down by race says African and Black patients are triaged at the same rate as other racial groups, but are waiting the longest, upwards of five hours in some cases. It also says Indigenous patients are visiting hospitals for similar triage reasons compared with white patients, countering the idea that Indigenous people are using emergency departments inappropriately. Manitoba says it is the first in Canada to collect voluntary race-based data from patients when they register for care as a way to reduce systemic racism within the health-care system. The report looked at the more than 618,000 emergency room visits that occurred between May 2023 and September 2024. Project lead Dr. Marcia Anderson says the initial analysis shows that racism can be a factor affecting wait times and care provided by Manitoba's emergency departments. 'Emergency departments are very stressful environments, and the health system is facing many challenges in these areas,' Anderson told reporters Tuesday. 'Unfortunately, in a system under stress, it is often those who are the most marginalized and who have the fewest resources to draw on who face the most severe impacts.' The report says the vast majority of people who leave against medical advice are Indigenous, accounting for almost two-thirds of all patients who do. More is needed to offer a positive therapeutic environment so patients don't feel the need to leave, said Anderson. It also finds that it is likely Indigenous, African and Black patients who are systemically receiving lower triage scores than white people, suggesting that their concerns may not be taken seriously by hospital staff. Researchers were unable to give an analysis on all populations because for some, like Latin American and Filipino people, the data set was too small. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said the initial data shows Indigenous, Black and racialized people experience some level of systemic discrimination. 'We have real data that tells a story about what's happening in our health-care system,' said Asagwara. 'It's an incredible opportunity that we have in Manitoba to be a leader in this space and to really work together to improve the health outcomes and health care experiences for Manitobans.' The data was collected by Shared Health, the provincial health organization, as part of an initiative led by Ongomiizwin, the Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing at the University of Manitoba. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 17, 2025.
