Mohawk Medbuy Supports Launch of Nursing Studies Program at Indigenous Post-Secondary Institute
Procurement of medical equipment for Oshki-Pimache-O-Win: The Wenjack Education Institute facilitates real-world training environment for Indigenous students in Northern Ontario
THUNDER BAY – September 9, 2022 – Mohawk Medbuy Corporation (MMC) representatives attended the official launch of Oshki-Pimache-O-Win: The Wenjack Education Institute’s (Oshki-Wenjack) training programs for Personal Support Workers and Practical Nursing at the school’s new Thunder Bay, Ontario campus. Oshki-Wenjack partnered with procurement specialists at MMC’s Northern Office to obtain essential medical equipment for the programs, including hospital beds, IV pumps and patient monitoring devices.
“We’re very excited to be launching our new laboratory for our Practical Nursing and PSW students,” said Oshki-Wenjack President, Lorrie Deschamps. “Our students will learn the essential and unique skills combined with best practices for health care provision in the remote and northern settings where they come from and will return to work in their communities throughout Northern Ontario.”
Enrolment in the Practical Nursing’s Program includes eighteen fifth-semester students and nine first-semester students enrolled in the Personal Support Worker program, many of whom were on-hand at the launch event on September 8.
“Working with Oshki-Wenjack deepened our appreciation of the health care challenges facing Indigenous communities and the critical need for this type of holistic education,” said Tony DiEmanuele, President and CEO of MMC. “In alignment with our ESG initiatives, we’re pleased to have had the opportunity to support this new training program – particularly given the unprecedented staffing challenges facing the health care sector.”
Oshki-Wenjack began working with MMC’s Northern Office in late June to source the required equipment. In all, 131 unique items were obtained, including hospital beds, vital sign machines, fingertip pulse oximeters, IV and kangaroo pumps, bedside products, IV poles, wheelchairs/walkers and portable patient lift devices. MMC leveraged the large-scale contracts it negotiates on behalf of hundreds of Canadian hospitals, which allowed Oshki-Wenjack to benefit from substantial savings.
Given the tight timelines and challenging supply market for some health care equipment – particularly beds – MMC worked closely with its contracted vendors to ensure the appropriate items were sourced, delivered and installed prior to the September start date of the course. “Our team and vendor partners worked very hard to meet this deadline,” said Marc Lemaire, MMC’s CPO and VP, Strategic Sourcing. “Ensuring the successful launch of Oshki-Wenjack’s new on-campus lab for their Practical Nursing and PSW Programs was a top priority that required a collaborative approach.”
“We’re very appreciative of MMC’s amazing support in procuring all these items for us,” said Susan Sinclair, Academic Director at Oshki-Wenjack. “Realistically, we would not have been able to source all of these on our own in time for opening – and at such great value!”
Marc Lemaire, MMC’s CPO & VP, Strategic Sourcing, Clinical Services & Regional Supply Chain Services reviews medical equipment in the new student lab with Oshki-Wenjack President, Lorrie Deschamps.
About Mohawk Medbuy
Mohawk Medbuy is a national, not-for-profit, shared services organization that supports hundreds of hospitals and non-acute care providers in Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, PEI, Manitoba and the Yukon. MMC provides efficient, cost-effective procurement of medical/surgical supplies, pharmaceutical products, capital equipment and food/nutrition solutions, as well as warehousing and logistics, accounts payable and linen services. The Burlington-based organization also has offices in London, Brantford and Thunder Bay and a linens facility in Hamilton.
About Oshki-Wenjack Educational Institute
Oshki-Wenjack (www.oshki.ca) provides culturally appropriate education and training programs that are designed to suit the needs of the (NAN) Nishnawbe Aski Nation communities and the members they serve. The Institute offers fourteen degree, diploma, certificate and academic upgrading programs through partnerships with universities and colleges, including Brock, Canadore, Confederation, Lakehead and Sault. Programs incorporate Indigenous knowledge, skills and traditions in a safe, inclusive, supportive and culturally enriched learning environment. The majority of the students come from First Nation communities in and around the Thunder Bay area.