Advancing Cultural Safety Together
The Advancing Cultural Safety Together learning collaborative supports healthcare organizations to address systemic racism and advance culturally safe care.
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- What you'll get
By joining the collaborative, you will:
Identify clear, actionable steps to address systemic racism based on an organizational assessment
Strengthen relationships with First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities
Build capacity to provide culturally safe care
- Topics
- Cultural Safety
- First Nations, Inuit and Métis priorities
- Health equity
- Audience
Healthcare leader
Quality or safety improvement lead
Policy advisor or analyst
About the collaborative
Advancing Cultural Safety Together supports healthcare organizations to address systemic racism and advance culturally safe care.
Racism experienced by First Nations, Inuit and Métis in healthcare is a critical patient safety issue. It leads to harm, mistrust, inequitable access to care and worse health outcomes. Across the country, healthcare organizations are increasingly recognizing the urgent need to address systemic racism and improve cultural safety.
Advancing Cultural Safety Together gives you a clear and supported way to address systemic racism and improve cultural safety. Your team can make meaningful progress in addressing systemic racism and advancing culturally safe care in your setting — leading to safer experiences, stronger trust and improved health and wellness of First Nations, Inuit and Métis patients, families and communities.
The collaborative will run for two years starting in September 2026. Applications are open until July 31, 2026.
Why this work matters
Systemic racism in healthcare continues to impact the experiences and outcomes of First Nations, Inuit and Métis patients and communities. It contributes to:
Inequitable treatment and access barriers
Preventable harm
Mistrust of health systems
Organizations want to improve, but often need clear guidance, tools and support to take action. This is where the Collaborative comes in.
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"This pathway work gives healthcare leaders across the country a map that supports a growing mandate - showing you where to begin and guiding your journey toward cultural safety."
How is the collaborative structured?
Through coaching, shared learning and practical tools, you will be supported to implement the Cultural Safety Pathway — a structured approach to creating meaningful and lasting change.
You’ll gain access to:
The Cultural Safety Pathway, including practical resources and examples of promising practices
Expert coaching and guidance
An organizational assessment tool mapped to steps in the Cultural Safety Pathway
Peer learning and networking opportunities
In-person and virtual learning sessions
Cultural safety indicators developed by the Canadian Institute for Health Information and mapped to the steps of the Pathway
This work is grounded in the knowledge and leadership of First Nations, Inuit and Métis healthcare experts and Knowledge Keepers, and reflects diverse cultures, histories and perspectives.
By bringing together voices from across leadership levels, the collaborative creates space for shared learning, practical action and meaningful system change.
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Who should join the collaborative
Advancing Cultural Safety Together is designed for those who are actively shaping safer, more equitable health systems. It will be most valuable for Indigenous health leads, quality and safety leaders and managers who are responsible for implementing change within teams and organizations.
The collaborative is also designed to engage health system leaders and executives who are critical in ensuring accountability and long-term impact.
The impact
By joining the collaborative, you will:
Identify clear, actionable steps to address systemic racism based on an organizational assessment
Strengthen relationships with First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities
Build capacity to provide culturally safe care
The result?
Improved relationships with First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, leading to stronger trust and safer care experiences.
The collaborative and pathway content align with forthcoming indicators, reporting and standards. This includes the Health Standards Organization’s new First Nations, Inuit and Métis-led National Standard of Canada for Cultural Safety and Humility and the Canadian Institute for Health Information’s cultural safety and Indigenous-specific racism indicators.
Questions we're hearing
We are recruiting up to 80 teams to participate in the program.
The program runs for two years. Curriculum will be delivered every 4–6 weeks, with each module paired with a coaching session. Between sessions, teams will apply what they have learned.
The time commitment may vary depending on your organization and the scope of your chosen project. Some teams may take on larger initiatives, while others may start with smaller, more focused efforts. Organizations at all stages of this work are welcome.
There is no cost to participate. The program is supported by the CMA Foundation.
For in-person events, HEC will reimburse for eligible travel expenses as appropriate.
Applications will be reviewed in two rounds:
First round: end of June
Second round: end of July
We are also aiming for a diverse group of organizations across sectors (for example, long-term care, community care, hospitals, primary care) to ensure the Cultural Safety Pathway is tested in different settings.
Yes. The Cultural Safety Pathway will be available on the HEC Community Portal as a web-based resource requiring a login. You do not need to be part of the program to access it. It is expected to be available in the fall.
No. In fact, you are encouraged to keep an open mind. Early stages of the program focus on building relationships with the communities you serve and identifying shared priorities. Projects should be co-designed rather than predetermined.
Currently, one in-person meeting is planned early in the program. We anticipate that it will be held in early November 2026. Location details will be shared with program participants. There is the possibility of 1-2 more in-person meetings throughout the collaborative, which will be be coordinated with participating teams.
Team size is flexible. At a minimum, each organization should have:
A project lead (main point of contact responsible for deliverables)
An executive leader (someone with decision-making authority to support progress)
If one individual can fulfill both responsibilities, serving as the primary contact while also acting as the executive leader, that would be acceptable.
The executive leader is expected to attend this event.
We will share confirmed dates as soon as they are available. We are planning for early November 2026.
Only the executive leader for each team will attend the initial in-person meeting.
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We’re grateful for support from the CMA Foundation to help teams across Canada move from awareness to action through the cultural safety pathway and learning collaborative. The CMA Foundation is proud to support this initiative of Healthcare Excellence Canada.
Explore more
Advancing Cultural Safety Together Informational Webinar
Watch the recordingJoin us for a panel discussion about the value of working together to create culturally safer care in health systems.
From Awareness to Action: A Path Forward for Cultural Safety in Healthcare
Read the blogHealthcare is meant to be a place of healing. Yet for many First Nations, Inuit and Métis, it can also be a place of harm and mistrust. But change is underway, and momentum is building.
A Pathway to Action: Advancing Cultural Safety in Healthcare
Read the blogHealthcare organizations are increasingly recognizing the urgent need to address systemic racism experienced by First Nations, Inuit and Métis and improve cultural safety. But where do we start — and how do we move from intention to meaningful action?
Cultural Safety Design Collaborative
Learn moreThe Cultural Safety Design Collaborative supported non-Indigenous organizations to address systemic racism experienced by First Nations, Inuit and Métis and improve cultural safety in the healthcare system.
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Moving Care Forward
Care Forward, a pan-Canadian movement bringing people together to share knowledge and apply proven approaches to improve healthcare quality and safety for more people across Canada.
Today, nearly hundreds of health and social care teams are working together through Care Forward to improve access to safe, connected, high-quality care closer to home and community.