First Nations Health Authority – Environmental Public Health Services (EPHS)

Presenting organization: Indigenous Services Canada and the First Nations Health Authority

Description 

A Built by and for BC First Nations: Supporting Nation decision making and stewardship, the EPHS program is a partner with communities to support successful and sustainable land management and economic development projects. 

During this session you will learn what Environmental Public Health Services is and what benefits there are to your community from engaging these services. For First Nations, the environment is vital in determining health and well-being. Our environment includes the land, air, water, food, housing and other resources that need to be cared for and considered to sustain healthy children, families and communities.  

We will cover the services available to your community by our team, such as:  Drinking Water Safety, Food Safety, Facilities Inspections, Wastewater, Healthy Housing, Emergency Preparedness and Response, and much more. 

The session will also describe some of the available public health standards, their importance, and how communities might consider embedding those within their land management structures/systems.

What Participants will learn

During this session participate will learn what Environmental Public Health Services is and what benefits there are to your community from engaging these services. For First Nations, the environment is vital in determining health and well-being and it is important integrated these services into sustainable land management and economic development projects. 

Presenter(s) 

Gethsemane Luttrell

(Short introduction by Petula Maxwell and Jason Cagampan)

Presenter Biographies

Gethsemane Luttrell is the Regional Manager of Environmental Public Health Services for Vancouver Island.  With over ten years of experience working at regional, provincial and federal levels of public service, and private sector, in environmental public health and occupational health. She has supported the promotion of health protection and disease prevention by managing public health risks associated with the environment through: risk assessments, relationship building and advocacy with partners and communities.  In her current role Gethsemane leads a team of Environmental Health Officers and support staff, delivering environmental public health services to a large number of First Nations communities on Vancouver Island.  Gethsemane has a strong connection to community and values the perspective on wellness; incorporating the physical, mental, cultural and spiritual health of individuals and communities, which guides her approach to public health to improve health outcomes and enhance community capacity.

Gethsemane completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from the University of Victoria; a Bachelors of Technology in Environmental Health at the British Columbia Institute of Technology and is currently working on her Masters of Science in Public Health at the University of London.