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The latest shows that many Indigenous people continue to face significant barriers in accessing primary health care: more than 30% of First Nations people living off reserve, Métis, and Inuit reported unmet health care needs in the past year, while Inuit were more likely to wait one month or more to see a primary care provider. Many also face long travel distances to receive care outside their communities. These findings underscore the urgent need for innovative, community-based solutions. 

Jamaica Cass can speak about the partnership between the Mastercard Foundation, Queen’s University, and the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority (WAHA) to co-develop a new program for training health professionals living along the western James Bay coast. This program — the Queen’s Weeneebayko Health Education Program — will train youth within their own communities, helping to build a sustainable local health workforce. 

The program represents a bold vision: creating pathways for Indigenous youth to pursue careers in health care, integrating cultural safety and traditional knowledge into education, and offering a unique model for transforming Indigenous health across Canada. 

Jamaica Cass, Assistant Professor and Indigenous Health Program Director at Queen’s University, was recently named Woman of the Year by the Ontario Native Women’s Association. She brings deep expertise in Indigenous health, equity, and community-based education. She can provide context on the new data, discuss the barriers facing Indigenous communities, and explain how the Queen’s–Weeneebayko partnership is working to change the future of health care delivery in Northern Ontario and beyond. 

To interview Jamaica Cass, contact: 

Julie Brown, Manager, Media Relations 
brown.julie@queensu.ca 
343-363-2763 
 

Andrew Carroll, Media Relations Officer 
andrew.carroll@queensu.ca 
613-876-8059