Blood Tribe Department of Health Chairperson Charles Weaselhead speaks about the new Intergovernmental Health Table, November 22, 2022. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

Partnership to address health and social challenges in Lethbridge and Blood Tribe First Nation

Nov 22, 2022 | 1:47 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Various levels of government are coming together to tackle some of the key issues in Southern Alberta communities in what officials describe as a “one-of-a-kind” partnership.

The Intergovernmental Health Table (IHT) is comprised of Lethbridge Mayor Blaine Hyggen, Blood Tribe Department of Health (BTDH) Vice Chairperson Charles Weaselhead, Lethbridge-East MLA Nathan Neudorf, the Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction, and the Ministry of Seniors, Community, and Social Services.

The group will meet every couple of months to try to find solutions to pressing health and social concerns in Lethbridge and on the Blood Tribe First Nation.

Neudorf says he has seen first hand how pervasive health and social issues have been in the Lethbridge community.

“For the past six or seven years in Lethbridge, this has been one of the top, if not the top, issue of importance for many residents in Lethbridge as we handle not just the mental health and addictions part, but the homeless part and all of the other parts that fall into that, from justice to health and all those systems working together,” says Neudorf.

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Weaselhead says, while the list of issues they will address is not complete at this time, they will focus on the major issues of the day.

“I think one of the key areas we are taking a look at is addiction, recovery, mental health, you know,” says Weaselhead. “We hope it will be far-reaching into other files; education, child welfare, economic development.”

He adds that there have been attempts by the Blood Tribe in the past to take on these significant issues entirely on their own, but those have not been as successful as they hoped.

By working together, he believes they will be far better equipped this time around.

Alberta Health Services (AHS) Senior Operating Officer Colin Zieber says one of the first initiatives of the IHT will involve having a group of family doctors meet with people who do not currently have a doctor.

The IHT held its first meeting on Tuesday, November 22, 2022, at Lethbridge City Hall.

Hyggen says they plan to meet on a quarterly basis, but it could end up being more frequent than that.

Exact times for the IHT meetings and whether they will be open to the public have yet to be determined.

Minister of Mental Health and Addiction Nicholas Milliken hopes that the success of the IHT will inspire similar partnerships elsewhere.

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