As communities across Canada celebrate National Nursing Week from May 11 to 17, 2026, the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority is highlighting the work of Selkirk-based nurse Geeta Cook. As the regional director of mental health and addictions, Cook has been a driving force in expanding healthcare access and Indigenous-led services throughout the region.
Cook, a member of the Barren Lands First Nation, draws on both her professional background and lived experience to guide her work. Her career began as a health-care aide, eventually leading her into roles in long-term care, acute care, public health, and harm reduction before she moved into her current leadership position. This year, the Canadian Nurses Association is honouring such contributions with the theme, The Power of Nurses to Transform Health.
A major focus of Cook’s work is the Mobile Withdrawal Management Service, a partnership between the health authority, the Interlake Reserves Tribal Council, and local First Nations. This program provides support to residents in Lake Manitoba, Lake St. Martin, Little Saskatchewan, Pinaymootang, and Dauphin River First Nations. By allowing self-referrals and providing care directly in community settings, the service aims to reduce barriers to treatment. The program team, which includes a nurse practitioner and two addiction nurses, offers moderate acuity withdrawal support through home-based visits, clinic spaces, and virtual options.
Cook also played a key role in setting up medical withdrawal management services at the Lakeshore General Hospital in Ashern. That facility now offers two dedicated withdrawal beds, supported by a specialized team that includes a withdrawal addictions nurse, a social worker, and a knowledge keeper to ensure the care provided is culturally appropriate.
The health authority, which operates across a large region that includes 17 First Nation communities, continues to prioritize these initiatives to help individuals safely manage or reduce substance use. Through these community-based models, the health authority aims to ensure that residents can access recovery-oriented care closer to home.
