NationTalk: Lheidli T’enneh Territory, Prince George, BC – The Hearts-based Education and Anti-colonial Learning in Healthcare (H.E.A.L. Healthcare) Project unlocks the potential of arts and humanities to disrupt longstanding and well-established health disparities. Starting from the premise that healthcare is both an art and a science, H.E.A.L. Healthcare uses poetry, storytelling, visual arts, and other creative tools to confront oppressive healthcare biases, to understand patient experiences, and to humanize healthcare systems and cultures.

H.E.A.L. Healthcare brings together artists, writers, activists, and people with lived experience to create arts-based and anti-oppressive learning materials. H.E.A.L. Healthcare teaching tools are designed to inspire anyone in any healthcare field: healthcare providers and professionals (nurses, dentists, doctors), healthcare staff and administrators, and healthcare students, educators, and institutions.

The free and open-access lessons are available at HEALhealthcare.ca. This innovative project is a result of a long-standing collaboration between the Health Arts Research Centre (HARC – healtharts.ca) and the National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health (NCCIH – nccih.ca).

Quotes:

“The H.E.A.L. Healthcare Project provides systemic change that is long overdue. I often think about the extractive ways that we talk about cultural sensitivity and cultural competency. The H.E.A.L. Healthcare project addresses internal biases rather than just learning about others. The diverse group of contributors created lessons that everyone can learn from in a kind and gentle way. I think it’s going to really change the face of medicine for all of us and improve health outcomes.”

X’staam Hana’ax (Nicole Halbauer)

H.E.A.L. Healthcare Project Manager

“As an anti-colonial medical educator, I believe there needs to be more tools to combat oppressive practices. Every tool on this website asks for self-reflection and internal focus. Health educators and clinicians can benefit from the innovative, art-based tools offered through this website.”

Dr Sarah de Leeuw

Canada Research Chair, Humanities and Health Inequities Research Director, Health Arts Research Centre

Director, National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health Professor, UBC Northern Medical Program (based at UNBC)

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Media Contact:

Kelsey Chamberlin
Communications Manager
Health Arts Research Centre | UNBC
960-5438 | harc@unbc.ca