A visionary gift to advance Indigenous health and healing

This National Indigenous History Month, we honour the history, heritage, and diversity of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples. We also acknowledge a stark reality: Indigenous communities continue to face deep-rooted healthcare disparities shaped by racism, colonialism, and systemic exclusion.

Today marks a powerful step towards dismantling those inequities.

A transformational $11 million gift from the Krawczyk Family Foundation is lighting the way for Indigenous-led care at every level—from Indigenous Wellness Centres at St. Michael’s Hospital and Providence Healthcare, to healthcare navigation, access to traditional care providers, land-based healing spaces, staff education, community outreach, and more.

Exceptional care. Without exception. It’s a promise made possible by donors like Alex Krawczyk. Alex recently joined Roberta Pike—Unity Health Toronto’s first Director of Indigenous Wellness, Reconciliation and Partnerships—for an honest and heartfelt conversation centred on their shared commitment. Through a visionary partnership, these changemakers are advancing Indigenous-led reconciliation and healing.

A Conversation Between Roberta Pike and Alex Krawczyk

ROBERTA: The Krawczyk Family Foundation is leagues ahead of others in understanding and supporting Indigenous health and wellness at St. Michael’s Hospital, Providence Healthcare and elsewhere in Ontario. What does Truth and Reconciliation mean to you and your family’s foundation? What inspired you to make this new transformational investment?

ALEX: I learned that the process of truth and reconciliation is a lifelong journey for all of us, and that it must be rooted in healthy, respectful relationships. It is founded on relationship-building with Indigenous people and Indigenous-led organizations and includes understanding the truth of the impacts of colonialism, which are ongoing. 

I studied Indigenous history prior to nursing school, and in my final rotation of nursing school, I lived in Fort Albany during the winter of 2013, when the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was there. I witnessed the testimonies of the survivors of St. Anne’s Residential School, as well as from their family and community members, who showed strength and resilience in addressing the harms caused and working towards community wellness and healing. I also spent time with the late Justice Murray Sinclair at that time, which had a significant impact on my life path.

The inspiration for this gift came soon after meeting you, Roberta, and being inspired by your leadership and by the team you work with that is grounded in community relationships. 

ALEX: You have long spoken out against the injustices Indigenous patients face in healthcare generally and hospital-based settings specifically. Who or what inspires you to keep speaking out and advocating for change?

ROBERTA: I think about how my mom—a survivor of both inter-generational and complex trauma—made a series of conscious decisions to not address her health and ended up passing at the young age of 56 (I am now close to my mom’s age when she passed). I centre the experiences of my family and friends, bringing them forward to guide how I think about and relate to our community members as an extension of my own family.

I think about the poor health status of many Indigenous peoples, and about how difficult it is to enter into the healthcare system and get good care that focuses on the whole person and not just the presenting symptoms.

I work with the responsibility of knowing the true wisdom of our community and our traditional ways of knowing, being, doing and feeling—and how central they are to better health outcomes. I know our cultures, ceremonies and teachings can be transformational. They offer a way forward in the intentional design of programs and services that are community-based and focused on Indigenous needs.

ROBERTA: You’re a healer by profession. How have your experiences as a community health nurse and through your Master of Public Health degree shaped your values and your philanthropy?

ALEX: To be recognized as a healer by you is a great honour. Thank you, Roberta.

I have been connected to healthcare for my entire life. I was inspired by my late father, Dr. Barry Sherman, who worked to make medicine accessible and affordable to millions of people worldwide. My parents also spent decades working to make healthcare more accessible through their philanthropy, leadership and volunteer work. I truly love being a nurse and working within healthcare teams to provide high-quality care.

As part of my Master of Public Health program in Indigenous Health and Global Health, I researched ongoing anti-Indigenous racism in healthcare settings. It became clear to me that all Ontario hospitals require Indigenous-led health and wellness teams, which I believe should be funded federally.

There are currently no specialized healthcare services in many Indigenous communities throughout Ontario. This forces people to travel long distances to receive care at provincial hospitals that often lack culturally safe spaces and training for healthcare professionals treating Indigenous patients.

I know you know this, as I quoted you in my final paper. You had shared that, “Indigenous people have some of the worst health outcomes, stemming from significant barriers to healthcare, including a lack of trust in—and fear of—the healthcare system.” 

St. Michael’s Hospital is leaps and bounds ahead with this new space and your beautiful team, which exemplifies the importance of including Indigenous health professionals as integral and respected members of healthcare teams to improve the safety and quality of care for Indigenous patients, families and communities.

ALEX: In what ways do you think that St. Michael’s new Indigenous Wellness Centre will make a difference to Indigenous patients and family members inside the hospital and in the community?

ROBERTA: I know the Indigenous community and our hospital family will both benefit from our new Indigenous Wellness Centre. It will provide a meaningful central place for our community members to feel welcomed and at home while they are at the hospital. They will also have immediate access to our Indigenous wellness specialists.

The space will provide an opportunity to participate in ceremony, and learn more about aspects of wellness from both traditional and Western perspectives through guest speakers, external organizations and Knowledge keepers.

The Centre will also be a place to host our non-Indigenous hospital staff, supporting them on the road to allyship with curated programming and training that shares knowledge about Indigenous peoples, histories and current realities.

ROBERTA: What do you hope your philanthropy will lead to in Indigenous health and wellness at St. Michael’s and Providence (and beyond) over the next decade?

ALEX: My hope is that, one step at a time, the relationships we build will contribute to advancing healthy, inclusive, resilient communities. That is what I see in our Indigenous partners. My role is to recognize where good work is happening and encourage it.

I want to be a good partner, listening, learning and walking alongside those who are effecting change in important ways every day.

ALEX: In your perspective, what are important principles to guide non-Indigenous partners working with Indigenous organizations?

ROBERTA: Finding out what community members have been voicing as an unmet gap or a need and working on community-based solutions to address those gaps/needs.

Working with Indigenous organizations at their pace and stage of community readiness. And doing what you model so eloquently—believing in, listening to, learning and walking beside Indigenous peoples, and then knowing how to leverage individual gifts and talents in meaningful ways that support Indigenous self-determination.

ALEX: Can you share some of your goals and dreams for improving healthcare experiences and outcomes for Indigenous Peoples and communities? 

ROBERTA: I would love to hear more positive examples of healthcare interactions for Indigenous people within our hospitals. I want to learn who is doing excellent work in offering culturally safer care and how we can all learn from this. Our healthcare system has evolved to operate in a way that is fast-paced, and resources are stretched thin. It is counter-intuitive to building good relations. I want to see and learn how non-Indigenous folks pick up their responsibilities to build good relations and highlight these successes.

I would like to see more Indigenous representation in the healthcare field. Many of our communities can point to our healers and midwives, wise Elders and Knowledge carriers and people known to provide other supportive helping roles. I hope to see a time before I retire when Indigenous people are in varied careers across the hospital system. Not just the rare exceptions in physician and nursing roles, but seeing Indigenous people employed in diverse healthcare occupations: allied health professionals (such as social workers, dietitians or occupational therapists), environmental services, X-ray technicians, security, administrators, finance. Anywhere and everywhere within our hospitals.

I want to see our population health outcomes improving: lower diabetes rates, fewer amputations and more lower-limb preservation; longer life expectancies; better overall self-reported health and well-being; lower C-section rates; more positive and higher quality interactions with healthcare professionals; options for mental health and addiction care; and more widespread recognition of and access to ceremony, land-based and traditional healing modalities.

ALEX: Thank you, Roberta, for everything you and your team are doing to improve Indigenous health and wellness.

ROBERTA: Gichi Miigwech, Alex, for your belief in our work and for the Krawczyk Family Foundation’s visionary support and exceptional generosity.