The Health Service Integration Fund (HSIF) is a multi-year special initiative of First Nations and Inuit
Health Branch (FNIHB). The goal of HSIF is to help improve the health services offered to First Nation
and Inuit Communities throughout Canada by better integrating them with Provincial and Federal
programs and services.

There are many electronic health record related initiatives under way in Manitoba and each addresses
a specific part of health care, primary, acute and community care. However, First Nation Communities
fall far behind the rest of the province in determining their needs related to technology and healthcare.
The Four Arrows HSIF project is working to address how health related technology can improve the
health status of the Island Lake people and integrate provincial and federal initiatives with local health
activities.

Health Centres in the Island Lake area excel at shaping of appropriate and effective services for their
members that overcome a number of unique challenges stemming from a variety of factors including
isolation, funding limitations, infrastructure and capacity challenges and jurisdictional barriers. This
project supports local health centres in the Island Lake region to bring about the transformative
changes needed to address barriers impacting on the implementation of eHealth initiatives in the
region.

Changes within the health care system, society and the increasing power of technology are putting
pressure on governments, health care providers and decision makers to integrate Information and
Communication Technology(ICT) systems into the delivery of health care. The Manitoba eHealth program
is facilitating the healthcare delivery transformation through the use of ICT for health system users in
Manitoba.

FARHA and the four Island Lake Communities wrestle with the challenges of bringing health care reform
to the First Nations to address the ever increasing disparities in the health care they receive compared
to the rest of Manitobans. ICT is one tool that shows great promise in reducing these disparities, but how
these new technologies will change health care delivery and existing provider relationships is not widely
understood.

This initiative will take a community development approach that assesses readiness, gains support for
the use of information and communication technology, establishes new relationships with health care
providers, First Nation organizations and governments and facilitates planning for ICT that meets the
specific health care needs of the Island Lake region.