In 2024, students from the Centre for Digital Media (CDM) in Vancouver invited FNHA to participate in a digital project as part of the Masters in Digital Media program. A group of four students worked with the FNHA digital media specialist to imagine a virtual blueprint and interactive digital tour of a First Nations Primary Care Clinic (FNPCC).
An FNPCC provides access to culturally safe, quality primary health care services primarily for First Nations people and their families. The aim is for clients to feel safe, welcomed, valued, respected and heard when they access care services at one of these centres. The students created their digital tour pictured here to highlight some of the services offered and explain the concept of a FNPCC.
In 2024, 13 FNPCC's will be opening as part of FNHA's First Nations Primary Care Initiative (FNPCI). The FNPCI is intended to improve access to high-quality, primary health-care services, as well as the health and wellness of First Nations people across BC in a way that is culturally safe and closer to home.
FNPCI Crossing is the name students gave to the project and is stylized after isometric video games such as Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley. Watch the project video trailer here.
Actual FNPCCs may have similar or different rooms and names and services offered than what is visualized in the students' digital tour. Each FNPCC offers different services in different ways. For example, some FNPCCs have a medicine room and pharmacy. Others might not. Some FNPCCs are completely mobile where clinicians take the services to the people, while others operate out of existing (Western) medical offices.
In order to meet the health and wellness needs of First Nations people, it is important that primary care is culturally safe and trauma-informed and Indigenous ways of knowing and being are woven into health care services. A main difference from Western medical clinics is that the First Nations-led FNPCCs recognize the importance of mental, emotional, spiritual and physical facets of a healthy, well and balanced life.
Thank you to Dr. Michael Dumont and Andrea Foster at Lu'ma Medical Clinic in Vancouver for their time sharing the importance of a First Nations clinic and showing the students key features of what a First Nations clinic may look like.
The FNHA applauds CDM students for their dedication to this project and commitment to learning about Cultural Safety and Humility as part of their Master's program.
FNPCI Crossing is best experienced on a desktop computer with Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge.
