b"HOSPITAL SPOTLIGHTThe facility is not just about healthcare, it's about reconciliation and building stronger relationships. By addressing systemic inequities, this hospital sets a new standard for culturally inclusive healthcare in Canada.Westley Davidson, Island Healthto opening doors with Island Health, understanding their points of view, and building a better relationship. Respect is the foundation of everything that we do, he says. When we work on better understanding, all parties start to realize that the value of life is the same for everyone. PHYSICAL PLACEPhysical place is an important and deeplyspiritualconcepttomany Indigenous communities, especially around concepts of healing, reflection, mourning and celebration. So Island Health incorporated feedback from the IAC to ensure each aspect of culturally safe healthcare would be incorporated into the hospitals physical design. During the design of the maternity ward, for instance, the IAC advised that many members of Indigenous families tend to be present during or closely following the birth of a new child. This led to the rooms being built larger than usual to accommodate more people. Patient rooms for healing were designed to avoid east-facing beds, out of respect for Quwutsun cultural practices. Centrally located gathering areas, gardens and places of reflection were designed to priori-tize Indigenous healing. Thedevelopmentofthephysical place did not come together all at once. Davidson recalls that when the initial plans were presented to the IAC, there was prominent objection to the planned traditional gathering space being placed behind the facility. It was perceived to be the worst part of the facilitys land, tucked in the back and out of view. To explain their dismay, 36A CCIB PUBLICATIONSpring 2025"