b'HEALTHLafontaine says the Indigenous Health Alliance eventually expanded to include other First Nations in Saskatchewan, as well as Nishnawbe Aski Nation in Ontario and Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak.We advocated around patient safety, quality improvement and patient-centred care, Lafontaine says. We were a part of advocating for raising $68 million in health transforma-tion that was a part of that big funding envelope that ended up going to those three territories.Lafontaine says he has also served on the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons Indigenous Health Advisory Committee and the HealthCareCAN Board of Directors.In the year I was president of the CMA, I did a lot of work with making sure that national Indigenous organizations were a part of the discussions, Lafontaine says. I was on the road [for] more than 200 days, so it was an enor- Founded in 1967, K-Line Group of Companiesmous opportunity to participate in events, but also toremains a family owned Canadian high voltagemeet people, interact with folks, hear their stories andservice provider that operates in Ontario, theunderstand where they were coming from. I was the firstTerritories, and across Western Canada.Indigenous president in the history of the CMAin 156 years there had never been an Indigenous president, and IThe Group is comprised of eight industrythink it was an opportunity to show that Indigenous physi- specific divisions with a primary focus oncians are here; we are participating in health-care change. distribution, transmission, substation, andNow, as past president, Lafontaine is involved with theengineering work.CMAs apology process that is looking back at its 156-year history. [Theyre] identifying areas where theres been harmOver 55 Years ofRaising Community Voices to Indigenous people and moving towards a place wherePowering excellence!we can work with provincial and territorial medical associ-ations to have Indigenous stakeholders at the table to push forth Indigenous health change in each of our jurisdictions. K-Line is proud to be a Committed member ofthe Progressive Aboriginal Relations (PAR)Lafontaine says access is a big component in howcertification program with Canadian CouncilIndigenous health care needs to evolve in the future, notingfor Aboriginal Business.that it is not just about training more Indigenous physi-cians, nurses and other health providers. We are dedicated to working with IndigenousPeoples in a meaningful way through ourIts about looking at whether or not access actually existspartnerships, employee training, and hiring.in a lot of places that have big differences in outcomes when you compare them against other groups, and making sure that access is stable, Lafontaine says. And then with that stability of access, making sure that the people who are actually providing care, whether they are Indigenous or non-Indigenous, are actually providing good experiences. Visit our website to learn more and exploreLafontaine adds that it is not normal to have health- current open job opportunities.care provider coverage for only days out of every month, as many rural, remote Indigenous communitiesJoin the K-Line Green Team.currentlyexperience. www.k-line.caIncreasingly we are starting to hear this message from the medical system that thats not normalwe should be planning that people have access to care in a reasonable way, Lafontaine says.INDIGENOUS INNOVATORS, ICONS & INFLUENCERS |ISSUE 1, 2023 13'