Enoch Cree Nation health projects near completion

The River Cree Weiss Surgical Care+. (CTV News Edmonton)

Two major health projects are nearing completion on Enoch Cree Nation.

Every day, about 80 workers are at the site of a medical facility on the First Nation west of Edmonton that will host a pharmacy, diagnostic imaging, and a chartered surgical clinic.

“The point of this facility is not to pull the staff out of the public system, it’s to complement the public system,” said Lorraine Oleski, executive director of River Cree Weiss Surgical Care+.

The chartered facility will have six operating rooms, three for publicly-funded surgeries and three for private surgeries.

Legally, Enoch residents cannot jump the queue for publicly-funded surgeries, but the nation says it can reinvest its revenues to provide private surgical care for its members.

“Downstairs, there’s a cultural room, which will be available to Nation members if they want to use it, either during their surgical state, or if their family members want to use it,” said Oleski. “All staff will be trained on cultural sensitivity, and it will be highlighted in their care delivery.”

Medical staff currently working at the Weiss clinic in Windermere will eventually move to the River Cree facility.

The project, which is financed by Enoch Cree Nation, is expected to be completed in October.

Deeper in Enoch, another health facility, an addictions recovery centre, is also nearing completion.

The centre will have 75 beds – 35 for men, 35 for women, and five detox.

“When we look at other recovery communities and their programming, they have their programming built around the Alberta recovery model but ours is built around culture,” said Tyler Morin, senior manager of the apiwikamik Wellness Branch.

Morin says that’s important because some programs, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, don’t necessarily resonate with Indigenous peoples.

“It’s about giving up your power to a higher power, where we already feel powerless because of colonization,” said Morin. “We need to come back to our own roots.”

The facility will be operated by third party Edgewood Health Network, with the goal for Enoch to eventually take it over.

“I think it’s going to be huge … it’s going to be a major game changer,” said Morin. “It’s going to be amazing that we can help hopefully 300 people a year.”