Yukon Party improving access to health care and planning for future system needs

WHITEHORSE – Since last year’s election, the Yukon Party has taken action to increase access to frontline health care, plan and prioritize health care infrastructure investments and help train Yukon students for Yukon health careers. 

“Yukoners elected us to improve the health care system, which was in crisis,” said Minister of Health and Social Services Brad Cathers. “We committed to recruiting more doctors and reducing the patient wait list.”

The Yukon Party government is investing in our health system today, while planning for infrastructure needs of the future in Whitehorse and rural communities.

“The community of Watson Lake has been pushing for a long-term care home for years,” said MLA for Watson Lake-Ross River-Faro Patti McLeod. “I was pleased to join residents during two public meetings this year about this project because their feedback will play an important role in future planning and development of this important development.”

Since the election, we have taken action to improve Yukoners’ access to care and plan for future system needs, including:

• Increasing Yukoners’ access to family doctors and nurse practitioners by expanding walk-in clinic eligibility, recruiting 12 new doctors who have moved here, including three who are Francophone;
• Connecting more Yukoners with doctors and nurse practitioners by working with Yukon doctors, nurse practitioners and Yukon Hospitals to reduce the patient waitlist by 60 percent, from 4,606 to 1,860; 
• Expanding culturally safe and responsive care by partnering with Kwanlin Dün First Nation to increase primary care capacity and providing funding to support nurse practitioner services at the Natsékhi Kų̀ Health Centre;
• Increasing operations and maintenance funding for Yukon Hospitals by over $19.7 million this fiscal year;
• Reducing patient volume pressures on Whitehorse General Hospital by adding eight new patient care beds;
• Supporting continuing care needs for rural Yukoners by investing $200,000 to begin planning for the Watson Lake long-term care facility;
• Preparing for future hospital infrastructure needs by investing $14.4 million to support the Whitehorse General Hospital expansion in the Fall Capital Budget;
• Helping more Yukoners pursue health and clinical education by more than tripling funding for bursary programs.

Together, these and other ongoing initiatives help strengthen the territory’s health care system, increase Yukoners’ access to health care they need, and allow more Yukoners to live healthy, productive lives. 

“While we are pleased to report significant progress over the past year, there is much more work to be done,” said MLA for Southern Lakes Tyler Porter. “We will continue to find opportunities to improve health care for Yukoners and plan for critical needs of the future.” 

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