If healthcare “works” on paper but people are afraid to walk through the doors, what are we really measuring? I’m joined by Roxanne Sappier, a longtime First Nations health leader and executive director for a health and wellness organization representing 15 First Nation communities, to talk about what it takes to redesign care so it actually serves the people it’s meant to serve.

We start with Roxanne’s personal journey from growing up in community, learning early lessons about service, and stepping into leadership after decades in health administration. From rebuilding local health services to using accreditation as a roadmap for stronger policies and patient safety, she shares what sustainable community health leadership looks like when the work is real, daily, and complicated. We also dig into the systemic barriers that keep programs fragile, especially siloed and term-limited funding that makes long-term prevention and mental health support harder than it needs to be.

Then we zoom out to the bigger picture: Indigenous-led health transformation in New Brunswick, what “culturally safe care” actually means, and why relationship-based learning matters more than a quick online module. Roxanne breaks down how holistic wellness connects with the pillars of lifestyle medicine, and why frameworks centered on hope, meaning, belonging, and purpose can change how we deliver care. We also talk about systemic racism, trust, and how Indigenous patient navigators can help people access services sooner and more safely.

If you care about Indigenous health, culturally safe healthcare, lifestyle medicine, and practical health system reform, this conversation offers both clarity and a path forward. Subscribe, share this with someone in healthcare training, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

Go check out my website for tons of free resources on how to transition towards a healthier diet and lifestyle.

You can download my free plant-based recipes eBook and a ton of other free resources by visiting the Digital Downloads tab of my website at https://www.plantbaseddrjules.com/shop

Don't forget to check out my blog at https://www.plantbaseddrjules.com/blog

You can also watch my educational videos on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMpkQRXb7G-StAotV0dmahQ

Check out my upcoming live events and free eCourse, where you'll learn more about how to create delicious plant-based recipes: https://www.plantbaseddrjules.com/

Go follow me on social media by visiting my Facebook page and Instagram accounts
https://www.facebook.com/plantbaseddrjules
https://www.instagram.com/plantbased_dr_jules/

Last but not least, the best way to show your support and to help me spread my message is to subscribe to my podcast and to leave a 5 star review on Apple and Spotify!
Thanks so much!

Peace, love, plants!
Dr. Jules