Left to right: Kerri Cushing-Mitchener, CCA Board Chair, Sophie Bart, CCA Executive Director, Caroline Lindstone-Jones, IPHCC Chief Executive Officer, Steve Teekens, Auduzhe Executive Director.
CCA and IPHCC sign Relationship Agreement
On Wednesday, April 16, 2025 the Canadian Centre for Accreditation (CCA) and the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council (IPHCC) came together for a traditional signing ceremony at Auduzhe, an Indigenous Interprofessional Primary Care Team in Toronto. The gathering marked the formalization of a Relationship Agreement, strengthening the partnership between CCA and IPHCC and formally affirms CCA’s responsibility to advance reconciliation through Indigenous-led approaches to quality and accountability.
The agreement reflects years of collaboration between the two organizations and lays the groundwork for the co-development of an Indigenous-led accreditation pathway, one that reflects Indigenous values, knowledge systems, and definitions of quality.
“This Agreement is one way we are giving life to our commitment to the values of inclusion, equity, and reconciliation,” said Sophie Bart, CCA’s Executive Director. “As an accreditation body, we have a responsibility to reflect these values not only in our own practices but also in the standards to which we hold others accountable.”
Through this partnership, CCA commits to:
- Embedding Indigenous voices within our governance and internal decision-making processes;
- Applying a culturally safe, Indigenous-specific lens to our accreditation practices.
- Aligning our work with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action and the principles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), particularly with respect to the rights to self-determination and meaningful participation.
The ceremony serves as a meaningful reminder that the path to reconciliation is built on trust, relationships, and a shared sense of responsibility.
CCA is honoured to walk alongside IPHCC and its member organizations. Together, we will work to create an accreditation process that is comprehensive, rooted in relationship, and reflects the strength and leadership of Indigenous communities, with the ultimate goal of advancing equity and wellbeing for Indigenous Peoples.
