Primary Care Network

Niislaa Naay Healing House Society is working together with:

Xaaydaga Dlaang Society (Skidegate Health Centre)
Local Northern Health teams
The Division of Family Practice
The BC Ministry of Health
To offer more health care services for Haida Gwaii through a Primary Care Network.

Reception: 250-626-3911

Fax: 250-626-3357

The goals of the Primary Care Networks is to provide health care that is:

Focused on relationship-building
Organized
Convenient
Covering a wide range of needs
Team based (through a team of health professionals and primary care providers working together)
Culturally Safe
Fair
And other aspirational qualities

Learn more

The Primary Care Network can help with:

New Health Concerns
Headache
Wounds
Earwax Removal

Cold, Flu, Cough
Pink Eye
UTIs, STIs, Yeast Infections
Rashes, Acne Eczema

We are providing increased services out of our health centre, as we realize some folks would prefer to access services in Old Massett/ Gaw Tlagee, rather than the hospital.

PCN positions at Niislaa Naay include:

Cultural Wellness Navigator (North Island): Tammy Jones

Tammy has worked with Niislaa Naay for over 30 years helping community members in many different roles over the years. She brings a wealth of knowledge to support community members navigate the challenges of accessing care in our remote and rural location, and advocating for Indigenous clientele as they navigate a Western, colonial healthcare system.

0.5 FTE (Part-time) Family Nurse Practitioner: Rachael Thorlakson

Nurse practitioners can:

Diagnose and treat medical conditions
Interpret tests
Prescribe medications,
Make referrals
Lead and coordinate care.

Rachael will start working for Niislaa Naay & the community of Gaw Tlagee upon returning from an upcoming maternity leave.

Rachael is a waasun jaanas/ white settler and grateful guest to Haida Gwaii, the sovereign, unceded and ancestral territory of the Haida Nation. She is of Spanish ancestry on her father's side and Irish/British on her maternal side. Raised on the territory of the Komox people on so-called Vancouver Island, she has worked as a nurse in different roles on Haida Gwaii on and off for the last 12 years. Before becoming an NP she was a Mental Health Nurse at Niislaa Naay. She is passionate about decolonization, mental health & addiction, approaching health with a holistic lens, integrating traditional health & wellness, community as healthcare, and building relationships.

She is the mother of a fun, feisty three-year year old, and her partner also works in healthcare. In her free time she likes to garden, make/ eat/ share delicious food, travel, read, adventure around, blast Latin pop music, and have dance parties with her toddler.

"I welcome feedback regarding my practice and how I can best serve community, such as through one on one clinic appointments or group information sessions. I am a life long learner and I promise to continuously reflect on and work towards decolonizing my own practice and help the effort of decreasing barriers to accessing primary care. Haa'wa, Rachael"

Physiotherapist: Matt Janzen

(Matt's bio)

Primary Care Network Coordinator for Haida Gwaii: Katie Clayworth

Unfilled/Hiring:

Medical Office Assistant

The MOA is the hub of the PCN, working to connect community members with services by:

Booking appointments
Sending referrals where they need to go
Connecting clients and health care providers
Update Niislaa Naay's Electronic Medical Record, (separate from Northern Health) with all necessary information (with client permission/ consent)
The MOA role is one of compassion, Haida cultural competency, and health care navigation, as they are the who patients first interact with directly of the PCN.