Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre in Thunder Bay, Ontario, is reshaping how it cares for Indigenous patients with a new push it calls deep, structural change. The hospital announced June 11 that its Miskwaa Biidaaban (Red Dawn) Indigenous Collaboration team is guiding the work to ensure every Indigenous patient gets culturally safe, respectful care every time they walk through the doors.
Dr. Miranda Lesperance, Vice President of Indigenous Collaboration, Equity and Inclusion at the hospital, leads the Miskwaa Biidaaban team. She is Anishinaabekwe from Opwaaganisiniing, Red Rock First Nation. The department was given its traditional name by Elder Aaron Therriault of Aroland First Nation during a naming ceremony in April 2024, marking a cultural milestone for the hospital.
The hospital already runs an Indigenous Care Coordinator program that started in 2021 with partners Anishnawbe Mushkiki and Grand Council Treaty #3. Five coordinators are now on site Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., helping patients navigate their care. A voluntary self-identification process has seen 5,334 patients identify as First Nations, Métis, or Inuit as of August 2024.
An Indigenous Partners Steering Committee, formed in June 2024 with Elder guidance, meets quarterly to keep the work on track. The hospital has also built an Indigenous Health Framework that focuses on partnerships, cultural well-being and education, addressing racism, and recruiting Indigenous staff. All senior leaders have completed cultural safety training called Repairing the Sacred Circle, created by St. Joseph’s Care Group.
The hospital serves a region with some of the poorest health outcomes in Ontario, including remote First Nation communities where access to care is often limited. In March 2026, the Miskwaa Biidaaban team received the Vision Award at the hospital’s iCare Impact Awards for its coordinators’ work in supporting Indigenous patients.
