Two Interior Health workers step down from Indigenous health jobs amid criticism

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Two Interior Health employees hired for Indigenous health positions withdrew following complaints that Indigenous applicants were not considered for the positions.

On June 29, the health authority announced the appointment of James Coyle as Executive Director of Indigenous Health and Welfare, and Jesse Bhondi as Executive Director of Indigenous Cultural Safety and Humility. .

But in an internal memo dated July 8 obtained by Black Press, Interior Health chief executive officer Susan Brown said Coyle and Bhondi decided not to fill the positions after hearing comments suggesting the hiring process was discriminatory, with no preference for native applicants. The memo can be read here.

The comments implied that to be qualified for a role in this portfolio, leaders must themselves be Indigenous, Brown wrote. This is not true, because throughout our organization we encourage and value the participation of all, working side by side, indigenous and non-indigenous.

Brown’s comments follow 24 recommendations made to the provincial health ministry in a November 2020 report responding to allegations of racism against Indigenous patients.

The author of the report, Dr. Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, indicated that the Government of British Columbia (Provincial Health Services Authority), the five regional health authorities, colleges and universities in British Columbia with health programs, health regulators and all health service organizations, providers and facilities, recruit Aboriginal people to senior positions to oversee and promote necessary changes to the system.

Mal Griffin, vice president of human resources at Interior Heakths, said the positions have been filled internally to prepare for the arrival of the new vice president of Indigenous partnerships, Addie Pryce.

Pryce, who is from the Nisgaa Nation of Ginglox, previously worked as the Health Sector Director for the Assembly of First Nations and held various health positions in British Columbia and Ontario.

Griffin said Pryce was consulted before Coyle and Bhondi were hired, but was not responsible for the appointments as she did not start her position until August 3.

We have selected two people within Interior Health who are proven leaders with what we believe in [are] the right skills and competencies to do the job that needs to be done with the new vice president and other members of the Indigenous health team, Griffin said.

Six percent of Interior Healths employees identify as indigenous, said Griffin, who added that the health authority wanted to achieve 10 percent representation by 2025.

Our commitment is not limited to clinical roles and frontline staff. We want to hire wherever we can, he said.

Griffin said positions briefly held by Coyle and Bhondi have now been reassigned, this time to internal and external candidates.

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