Nisga'a Valley Health Authority Strategic Plan
The Nisga’a Valley Health Authority (NVHA) oversees the operations, planning and implementation of health services for the Nisga’a members living on Nisga’a Lands and in communities across BC and elsewhere.
The NVHA Board engaged Cornerstone Planning Group’s strategic planning specialists to facilitate the development of a Strategic Plan, which sets out the Vision, Mandate and Key Objectives for the Board for the next three years and beyond.
Cornerstone and NVHA took a consultative and holistic approach by embracing the concept of “Sayt K’il’im Goot,” “One Heart, One path, One Nation” to ensure that the vision “Daxgadim Gandidils,” “Healthy Minds, Healthy Bodies, Healthy Spirits” is achieved.
Out of this process, and led by our values, vision, and mission, NVHA has identified four focal areas moving forward, each with related objectives and goals:
- Working through the Nisga’a paradigm
- Taking a community-based approach
- Striving for excellence through consistent growth and improvement in organizational capacity
- Providing the best possible health care through strong, effective relationships
Nisga'a Nation Health Planning
Cornerstone worked collaboratively and closely with NVHA staff and management, Nisga’a Lisims leadership, and Nisga’a members to identify they health and wellness priorities of the Nisga’a Nation, and strategies to improve the health and well-being of Nisga’a people over the coming five years.
We spent time in each of Nisga’a Nations four Villages, meeting with people in community gatherings, small groups and individually, to fully understand both the unique needs of each Village and the priorities and strengths of the Nation as a whole. We identified the services, programs and supports provided by the NVHA, as well as those services that support Nisga’a members in collaboration with NVHA.
From these meetings and other critical research, and with guidance from Nisga’a elders, health professionals and leadership, we facilitated the development of key Objectives and Strategies for the wellbeing of the Nation, as well as building a stronger Health Authority.
Vision and Key Objectives for Wellness
The Objectives and Strategies within the Health and Wellness Plan are guided by a Vision of an ideal future, for the Nisga’a Nation, the Government and Nisga’a Valley Health Authority:
“Healthy and Vibrant Nisga’a people who embrace wellness in the spirit and tradition of One Heart, One Path, One Nation”
The Wellness Plan identified four Key Objectives for a Healthy Nation:
- Improved health through prevention and effective treatment.
- Effective, efficient, and client-centered approaches that meet people where they are.
- Consistent and equitable health services and wellness activities for all Nisga’a Citizens.
- Connecting health and wellness to traditional and cultural ways of knowing, being, and healing.
The Plan also articulates five Objectives for a more effective Health Authority:
- Improve quality and continuity of care though staff recruitment and retention.
- Increase NVHA capacity through training and skill development.
- Improve communications within NVHA and with Nisga’a Citizens.
- Strengthen collaboration with Village Governments and NLG.
- A clear, consistent, strategic direction for NVHA.
