The first Indigenous President-elect of the Canadian Medical Association hopes to change the culture of medicine in Canada.
Dr. Alika Lafontaine grew up on Treaty 4 territory in southern Saskatchewan. He is of Cree, Anishinaabe, Métis and Pacific Islander ancestry.
Lafontaine now works as an anesthesiologist in Grande Prairie, Alberta. He wants to improve the accessibility of health care for Aboriginal people.
“We need to have Indigenous patients around the table when it comes to designing care,” said Fontaine.
“It’s really important to have the voice of the patients at the table to make sure that the care we are providing is what they really need,” he said.
He also said he was excited to help create a new medical experience for patients and doctors.
7:06Said he would not graduate from high school, Dr. Alika Lafontaine will become the first Indigenous chief of the Canadian Medical Association
Dr Alika Lafontaine was told he probably won’t graduate from high school, but in fact he graduated from medicine and will soon be leading the Canadian Medical Association. He wants to make sure that aboriginal patients are not stereotyped by the health system that is supposed to treat them. 7:06
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action include an increase in the number of Indigenous people working in the health profession. The 2016 census reports that less than one percent of specialists and general practitioners in Canada identify as Indigenous.
However, Aboriginal people represent over 4.5% of the population.
Lafontaine will be president of the CMA from 2022 to 2023.
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