Dr. Naana Jumah, an Obstetrician Gynaecologist at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and Assistant Professor at NOSM University, is an ally and advocate for Indigenous maternal health, and the recent winner of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada’s Carl Nimrod Educator Award. A Rhodes Scholar, PhD in Engineering and Harvard-trained physician, Dr. Jumah has chosen to return home to practise in Thunder Bay, where she grew up after immigrating from Ghana as a child.

She’s quick to credit the many role models who have inspired her—starting with Moffat Makuto, organizer of the Regional Multicultural Youth Center in Thunder Bay.

“Being a newcomer to Canada, I was part of that youth group when I was a kid,” she recalls. “We travelled around the region and did programming for high school students throughout Northwestern Ontario and on reserves. As immigrant and refugee kids, we saw that the kids who had the hardest time adjusting to life in so-called ‘Canada’ were the kids coming from reserves. I saw that then, and it stuck with me. It was an area where I wanted to continue working and have a meaningful impact.”

Dr. Jumah first trained as an engineer, earning a PhD from the University of Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship. “I loved engineering, but I really missed the kind of interactions I had when I was working with Moffat in the youth group, getting to know people and being part of their lives,” she says. “I applied to medicine hoping to do both.”

She didn’t initially intend to pursue obstetrics and gynecology. But, when a close family member passed away, Dr. Jumah had to rearrange her medical school clerkships. The result was a long clerkship in obstetrics, gynecology, and gynecological oncology, and she fell in love. “I realized that obstetrics and gynecology brought together all my interests. There was a combination of clinics and work in the operating room. There was an option for advocacy; the issues were important. The combination of skills was a really good fit,” she says.

Dr. Jumah has become a strong advocate and ally. She has supported numerous initiatives to help improve maternal health for Indigenous peoples, including working with Confederation College to train Indigenous women as lay maternal infant support workers, and creating a curriculum to train health-care workers in delivering culturally safe care that builds communications and trust with patients.

The work of which Dr. Jumah is proudest is supporting her colleague, Lisa Bishop, to develop an Indigenous midwifery program in Thunder Bay under an alternative funding model for Indigenous midwifery from the Ministry of Health. She supported the funding application for the program and helps in hospital if a patient needs care from an obstetrician.

“It’s been amazing to see the practice grow,” she says. “I’ve played a small part in trying to be an effective ally. I think it speaks to something tangible that we can do as health-care providers in trying to work towards reconciliation. It’s the right thing to do for patients, and it works towards the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action—more Indigenous care providers, providing care in a culturally appropriate way.”

“Because of who I am, as a Black physician and immigrant, the challenges that patients face can be more obvious to me than they might be to physicians who have a different background,” she says.

For Dr. Jumah, Black History Month is a time to recognize the breadth of contributions from Black Canadians who have been here for generations, as well as immigrants from the Caribbean and Africa.

“Black History Month recognizes the importance of Black Canadians to the wider country. I think oftentimes the contributions are noticed in sports, arts, and entertainment. Outside of that, contributions are often overlooked, and that’s a stereotype of who Black people are. We’re good at sports, we’re good at music, but we’re not good at other things—like academic or technical accomplishments. Black History Month allows the spotlight to be shone on the community as a whole. That goes a long way into breaking those barriers and eliminating those stereotypes,” she says.

Gallery, In the Spotlight, Spotlight on Research

Curated Black History Month collection launches at NOSM University Health Sciences Library

Wednesday February 7th, 2024 Tara Hawkes

Launched February 1, a new subject guide focused on Black History Month resources is available from NOSM University Health Sciences Library, thanks to a collaboration with the Equity and Inclusion unit.

“Our goal in creating this guide is to help NOSM University community members access important learning opportunities in their own time,” says Dr. Joseph LeBlanc, Associate Dean, Equity and Inclusion. “We hope people engage with the collection to support their individual learning journeys not only this month, but also into the future.”

The subject guide is a curated collection of resources, including e-books, hardcopy books, links, and videos. It includes anti-racism texts, as well as resources related to Black Canadian health professionals, both historic and contemporary.

Says Alanna Campbell, Public Services Librarian, “One resource we would love to highlight is a video from the Ontario Medical Association called ‘Ontario’s doctors share what Black History Month means to them.’ The video features Sudbury family physician Dr. Chiebere Ogbuneke, a NOSM University alumnus. Dr. Ogbuneke speaks about the importance of Black History Month to honour Black leaders and reflects on what we can do to make society more equitable.

The curated collection is the latest of the library’s 54 subject guides to focus on equity and inclusion. Other guides include 2SLGBTQ+, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Treaties Recognition, Equity and Equality in Health Care, and Santé des francophones/Francophone Health.

Guides are popular among learners, faculty, and staff and inform their research and work. The Treaties Recognition Guide, for example, launched in 2022 and has been accessed more than 550 times.

The library’s subject guides are living collections that are continuously updated. If you would like to recommend a resource to add to the guide, contact askthelibrary@nosm.ca.

Gallery, In the Spotlight, Indigenous Stories

NOSM University Elder Frank Ozawagosh honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award from Anishinabek Nation

Monday February 5th, 2024 Tara Hawkes

Husband and wife team Frank and Julie Ozawagosh have been a mainstay at NOSM University since its inception in 2005. Recently, Frank was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award from Anishinabek Nation—a distinction awarded to Julie in 2015.

Recognized as Elders at NOSM University, Frank and Julie prefer to be called by the Anishinaabe words Mishomis (grandfather) and Nookomis (grandmother). Their involvement at NOSM University began when the medical school reached out to them about leading a ceremony at the grand opening. Soon after, Frank and Julie began welcoming medical learners to the Sweat Lodge at their home. “We just became part of NOSM University after that. We became part of the fixture,” says Julie, who describes them as NOSM University’s inaugural Mishomis and Nookomis.

Frank recalls, “In the beginning, I didn’t want to be a part of NOSM University. I ended up changing my mind. I thought, ‘I can be a small part of all the change that’s happening.’ I ended up saying, ‘I’ll be there.’ It’s been a beautiful journey.”

The award recognized Frank’s contributions to his community of Atikameksheng Anishnawbek, sharing the ways of his ancestors, his time and his knowledge of ceremonies and teachings.

“It’s an honour to be recognized for everything that I’ve done. I did a lot of the things that I wanted to do,” he says. A passionate and life-long athlete in many sports including baseball, hockey, bowling, running, and—most recently—golf, Frank likens his proud commitment to community work to dedication in sport.

For Frank, an important project has been maintaining the community’s cemetery on his own time. He explains, “Years ago, I drove by the old cemetery, and I couldn’t even see it. That’s where the village used to be and that’s where our ancestors are buried. Band members travel there, but many never even knew that there was a cemetery there. The trees were 20, 30 feet tall. I didn’t feel good because it wasn’t looked after. I’ve been taking care of it now for eight or nine years. I go once a week, cut the grass, trim all around. I feel good going out there, knowing that everything our ancestors did, they did for the community and for our future.”

The Ozawagoshes share that ceremonies and teachings are an important way to heal from multi-generational trauma caused by colonialism. Many people are “walking with inner trauma,” says Julie. “We work with kindness and gentleness.”

And kindness can be contagious. Julie points out that when NOSM University or other organizations want to have an Elder, she and Frank are often mentioned. “The word comes up when you do something good,” she says.

Frank was among 17 Anishinabek citizens honoured at the awards event, held in late October at Casino Rama in Chippewas of Rama First Nation. He was recognized for living and walking mino bimaadiziwin (the good life.)

“When the awards committee asked me to say a few words, I didn’t know what to say. I’m a man of action and not a man of words,” explains Frank. “I wanted to do it because it felt good, and I knew it needed to be done.”