Keewaytinook Okimakanak (KO) Health department is one of the service areas established by KO Tribal Council. The mandate of KO Health is to plan, deliver, monitor, and report on health services, which includes high quality community-based health care and support services as well as improved productivity and performance. The geographic area covered by KO Health includes 6 remote First Nation communities - Deer Lake, Fort Severn, Keewaywin, McDowell Lake, North Spirit Lake, and Poplar Hill. KO Health also assists community members of KO communities living in urban areas such as Thunder Bay, Dryden, Red Lake, and Sioux Lookout in accessing healthcare services. KO health has been working proactively on health transformation of the clinical processes and systems across care settings through Nishnawbe Aski Nation health transformation initiative to enable a high-quality equitable access to health services for its community members. The three values that guide what we do at KO Health are – we care for our communities, we are always learning, and we strive for better health outcomes and quality of life for our people.
KO Health evolved from 4 services to 14 service areas in the past five years. We offer a range of services including:
· Primary Care Nursing – Deer Lake
· Home and community Care
· Public/preventative Healthcare
· Mental health
· Indian Day School survivor support
· Indian residential school survivor support
· Crisis intervention
· Family violence prevention support
· Jordan’s Principle program – physiotherapy, speech language therapy, occupational therapy, optometric and audiology services, and behavioral therapy
· Choose Life Mental Wellness program
· Opioid addiction treatment – Just-In-Time Program
· Health and social emergency planning
· Mamow Ahyamowen data governance and knowledge translation
· Electronic medical record system planning and implementation
The facilities of KO Health are located in Thunder Bay and Balmertown. The KO health service providers visit the KO communities regularly to provide services to its members. KO Health service providers include a wide variety of professionals and experienced community members who work in collaboration with the community health staff. The department is led by health director who works under the supervision of KO senior management and in collaboration with the community health directors to establish overall strategic direction for the department and wellbeing of the communities.
KO Community Health Director
Deer Lake - Roland Pemmican
North Spirit Lake - Candice Rae (Acting Health Director)
Poplar Hill - Barbara Strang
Kee-way-Win - Karen Kakepetum
Mc Dowell - Sheryl Lawson
Fort Severn - Connie Thomas
KO's community Health priorities are also represented through participation in the following committees:
Sioux Lookout First Nation Health Authority Board
Oshki Pimacheowin Education Training Institute Advisory Committee
Sioux Lookout Menoyawin Health Centre
The COO Chiefs Committee on Health Sioux Zone
Nishnawbe-Aski Nation Health Planning Group
Mamow Ahyamowen
Health Office:
Thunder Bay
Health Office Addresses:
“730 Syndicate Ave S
Thunder Bay
ON P7E 1E9
735 1381
Balmertown
12- Dextor Road
PO BOX 340
Balmertown
ON P0V 1CO
Health Director - Anjali Mago anjalimago@kochiefs.ca
Assistant Health Director - Leona Kakepetum leonakakepetum@kochiefs.ca
Director of Nursing - Donna Potter Roberts donnaroberts@kochiefs.ca
Associate Director of Nursing - Kelly Kabatay kellykabatay@kochiefs.ca
Home and Community Care Nurse Supervisor - Michelle Kakegamic michellekakegamic@kochiefs.ca
Mental Health Program Coordinator - Armanda Parkinson armandaparkinson@kochiefs.ca
Jordan’s Principle Coordinator - Alexandria Fobister <alexandriafobister@kochiefs.ca>
Social Emergency Planner - Joshua Taylor joshuataylor@kochiefs.ca
Community Wellbeing Facilitator - Saumya Nair saumyanair@kochiefs.ca
Crisis Coordinator - Donna Wilkins donnawilkins@kochiefs.ca
