Improving healthcare is at the heart of supporting Yukon families and enabling them to thrive. If re-elected, the Yukon Liberals will continue to implement the recommendations from Putting People First, a comprehensive plan to transform Yukon’s healthcare system into a more holistic, collaborative and people-centred system that will better meet the needs of Yukoners.
Priorities for a re-elected Yukon Liberal government include:
- Creating an integrated health authority to improve coordinated care between the hospital, long-term care, home care, and social services.
- Increasing video conferencing for rural communities renewing prescriptions and medical appointments.
- Creating a health lodge in Whitehorse for rural residents who are attending medical appointments.
- Creating a new Care Coordination and Medical Travel Unit to streamline care across programs and providers, for local and out of territory care.
- Revising the Health Professions Act to improve how we regulate healthcare service professionals and increase coverage to groups such as psychologists, optometrists, and allied health professionals.
- Completing the construction of a secure medical unit at Whitehorse General Hospital.
- Implementing Yukon’s Aging-in-Place strategy.
- Working with the Yukon Medical Association to explore physician payment models that reflect modern healthcare.
- Harmonizing and simplify the Government of Yukon’s pharmaceutical programs and work in partnership with the federal government to support a Canada-wide universal pharmacare program model.
- Providing self or family-managed care funding to enable adult Yukoners with disabilities to live at home for longer.
- Hiring additional nurse practitioners where needed to increase access to primary health care providers in the communities and specialized clinics.
- Increasing services offered in communities through mobile screening and service provisions.
- Support Yukoners by offsetting the cost of fertility treatments.
The Liberals also plan to create a Bilingual Health Centre in Whitehorse to improve care for Yukon’s francophone population as well as subsidize the cost of birth control and period products for those who need it.
The Liberal government started implementing the Putting People First recommendations in 2020 by doubling the rate for medical travel to $150/day and expanding the eligible destinations to allow more flexibility for patients. The Liberals also invested in the new 1Health system - a modern, integrated health information system that will enhance Yukoners’ experience in the healthcare system and improve health
outcomes across the territory.
“Yukon’s healthcare system needs to be focused on people - not buildings, or processes the way it has been in the past. We know that our healthcare workers are extremely dedicated to patient care, and we need a system that works with them, not against them. We began the major work of transforming our system to better meet the needs of Yukoners, and now we need to keep going.”
- Liberal Candidate for Riverdale South Tracy-Anne McPhee
“The Putting People First report brought together the perspectives of Yukoners and the insight of healthcare experts to create a roadmap for all our communities. Implementing these recommendations will position the Yukon as a national leader in healthcare by making it more responsive to the needs of our growing territory and ensure it is sustainable in the long term.”
- Liberal Candidate for Mount Lorne-Southern Lakes John Streicker
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