Laura Fitzgerald, Nurse Practitioner

Making sure the health care system is culturally safe for Indigenous people is one of Vancouver Coastal Health’s (VCH) top priorities. As health authorities in British Columbia work to close the gap on the significant health disparities that exist between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, new Indigenous-led primary care centres that embody culturally safe care are leading the way, including one that recently opened in Vancouver Community called Lu’ma Medical Centre.

Indigenous-led clinics have an intentional focus on holistic health care, which means caring not only for the body but the mind, spirit as well as emotional well-being and encompassing Indigenous culture, beliefs and spirituality. At Lu’ma, every part of this approach is included in the design elements, from the colours on the walls to the art and traditional medicines that are available to patients in the waiting room.

Meet Laura, a nurse practitioner who is passionate about providing culturally safe care.

We recently caught up with Laura, a family nurse practitioner (NP) at Lu’ma. “What I enjoy most about the role is the diversity of the position and the ability to provide improved access to primary care to a population deeply in need of culturally safe care,” she says.

Laura explains that historically, some patients have felt cautious to reach out for primary care due to past experiences of being prejudiced against or being made to feel unfairly judged or mistreated within mainstream healthcare. “At our clinic, we strive to provide care that ensures that the patient feels heard and safely cared for and as well provide bridges to accessing specialist care as needed.” She feels it is a great privilege to be able to provide this type of care with the hopes to improve health outcomes and eliminate barriers. “I love being able to provide care that spans from infants to elders and see families grow and expand within the clinic,” she says.

Prior to joining Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), Laura provided on-reserve care within the Secwepemc Nations. “I was welcomed with open arms in these communities, and it was a really positive experience,” she says. “I loved the cultural aspect of the care. I learned about the Secwepemc culture and participated in community functions.”

A supportive team is important for our staff to thrive and Laura says, “I feel very much supported within my role. Within VCH’s aboriginal primary care network, there is a supportive Nurse Practitioner Community of Practice group, and it is invaluable to meet with them on a regular basis and have collegial support in terms of resources shared and practice updates.” One of the most inspirational moments Laura experiences in her role is seeing the positive change within a patient’s life, whether it be an improved life circumstance through something such as secured housing or improved health outcomes.

In addition to being a nurse practitioner, Laura helps with quality control at her husband’s chocolate business – Kasama Chocolate, which means “friendship and comradery” in Tagalog.

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