The Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba has enacted the Indigenous Healthcare Quality Framework (IHQF) as mandatory clinical standards to help ensure people from Peguis First Nation receive equitable and culturally safe care when they visit a hospital or clinic. These standards, formally integrated into clinical bylaws on February 1, 2026, require medical staff and students at university‑affiliated clinical sites to follow specific protocols designed to respect Indigenous knowledge and reduce discriminatory treatment.
The IHQF moves the framework from guidance into required clinical practice. It includes designated “Quality Leads” in hospitals, mandatory anti‑racism reporting, and clinical protocols aimed at improving accountability in care. The framework directly affects university‑affiliated sites serving the Interlake region, including facilities that serve Peguis such as Percy E. Moore Hospital; extending accountability across non‑university hospitals depends on partnerships with provincial bodies such as Shared Health Manitoba.
Ongomiizwin — the University of Manitoba’s Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing — led development of the framework through an Indigenous Advisory Council and engaged communities across Manitoba, including Peguis, in consultations. The change sits alongside broader regional health transformation efforts, including the Southern Chiefs’ Organization’s 2024 agreement to transfer health governance toward a Southern First Nations Health Authority, which creates pathways for greater local control over services.
For residents of the Interlake region, the standards are intended to make clinical encounters more effective by valuing Indigenous healing practices alongside Western medicine. The standards are being embedded into electronic health records (EHRs) in partnership with Shared Health Manitoba, triggering cultural safety checklists and patient‑rights notifications for Indigenous‑identified patients so problems in patient care can be identified and addressed more promptly. Advocates say the move is an important step toward improving equity and health outcomes for families in the community.
