Yukon Liberals Announce Plan to Create Accessible Health Care for All Yukoners

Yukon Liberals Announce Plan to Create Accessible Health Care for All Yukoners

Today, the Yukon Liberals are unveiling their plan to create accessible health care for all Yukoners. The plan will increase services, build new facilities across the territory, and modernize existing programs to ensure they are responsive to the needs of Yukoners. It recognizes the important role of housing, arts and recreation to support wellness across the territory.

Over the past nine years, the Yukon’s healthcare landscape has undergone significant change. The Yukon Liberal Party, in partnership with Yukon First Nations and key stakeholders, created Putting People First, a transformational vision for the healthcare system. Work to implement this vision is well underway, and the party is prepared to continue building on this progress. New initiatives such as the midwifery program, the Centre de santé Constellation Health Centre, the Whitehorse Walk-In Clinic, and the Fireweed Mental Health Unit at Whitehorse General Hospital have expanded the range of services available to Yukoners, providing care where and when it’s needed.

As the Yukon’s population grows and ages, the Liberals know they need to continue to expand services and support Yukon healthcare workers. The Yukon Liberals’ new health care plan provides a comprehensive roadmap for improving accessibility and quality of care for every Yukoner.

“I’m proud of this plan and our team is ready to roll up our sleeves to strengthen healthcare across Yukon. The Liberals have built a strong foundation, and now we’ll keep building to make care easier to access for every Yukoner. I’m excited to see this plan put into action so families, seniors, and communities get the services they need, when they need them. This is about making Yukon healthier for everyone — today and for the future.” Mike Pemberton Leader of the Yukon Liberal Party

"Every Yukoner deserves safe, culturally appropriate care that meets their needs. We need to support workers, so they choose to stay in the Yukon and in their profession. That means a system that treats the whole person — connecting people to the right care across specialties. This plan will make that vision a reality." Sunny Patch, Liberal Candidate for Riverdale South

Backgrounder: Yukon Liberal Healthcare Plan to Increase Accessibility

Health Care Access and Services
● Continue to increase access to primary care across the territory, including more family-physician-led, team-based clinics that fully integrate nurse practitioners working to their full scope of practice
● Work closely with the Whitehorse General Hospital to expand services and beds, and build a new surgical tower
● Investigate the feasibility of an urgent care centre in Whitehorse
● Increase the capacity of the Whitehorse Walk-In Clinic, allowing Yukoners who do have doctors to access walk-in care, starting with residents from communities outside Whitehorse
● Ensure that abortion services are confidential, accessible, and sustainable within our healthcare system
● Increase support and resources for women experiencing perimenopause and menopause symptoms
● Ensure that working healthcare professionals are well supported through increasing training opportunities and focusing on preventing staff burnout

Increasing supports across the territory
● Expand home care support in rural Yukon communities
● Increase aftercare support for Yukoners who have completed addictions treatment but still need help maintaining a sober lifestyle
● Continue to implement the Substance Use Health Emergency Strategy, with a focus on increasing treatment options in Yukon communities
● Ensure our healthcare system is culturally safe by continuing work to create Yukon’s first health authority, Health and Wellness Yukon (Shaw Kwa’a), in partnership with Yukon First Nation

Seniors, Aging Population, and Housing
● Begin planning the expansion of Whistle Bend Place and explore other options within Whitehorse to accommodate our rapidly aging population and the larger-than-forecast growth
● Evaluate long-term care options beyond Whitehorse, particularly in Watson Lake
● Continue to support the work of the Vimy Heritage Housing Society, including a commitment to provide land for their project

Arts, Recreation, and Youth Wellness
● Examine barriers youth face in accessing sport, ensuring resources are allocated to break down those barriers. This includes recognizing the importance of mentorship and creating community networks to improve access as well as considering how to ensure trans youth can access sport
● Increase funding to the Kids Recreation Fund, helping lower-income families access funding so all kids can participate
● Support bringing the Canada Winter Games back North. If the Northwest Territories passes on hosting in 2035, we will back a bid for Whitehorse to host, or co-host, the games. To support this, we will construct a new arena in Whitehorse and other major infrastructure projects as identified in feasibility studies
● Re-use the old Polarettes space in Whitehorse to expand available sports infrastructure, working with Sport Yukon to determine the best use of this space
● Ensure the new École Whitehorse Elementary School (EWES) includes a large gymnasium accessible to sports groups outside school hours
● We will increase access to the arts, including visual arts, dance, and theatre for children, youth, adults, and seniors, as part of lifelong experiential learning and wellness
● Increase funding for the Yukon Community Recreation Assistance Grant specifically allocated to LAC’s and unincorporated communities, to support recreational activities across the territory
● Create a public art policy to enhance the presence of art in both indoor and outdoor public spaces, and would allocate resources for art purchase/commissions as part of construction budgets for public buildings
● Increase both the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit and the Children’s Arts Tax Credit by 50%, reducing barriers and helping families keep kids active and engaged

Modernizing our Approach
● Begin a program review of the Medical Travel Program, exploring options to streamline access, including an online portal for applications. While this review is underway, we will increase the medical travel subsidy by 15%
● Improve digital health record systems, including implementing an interoperable electronic medical record system and phasing out the use of fax machines
● We have completed initial steps towards opening a medical travel lodge in Whitehorse to assist Yukoners from outside the city who need to travel for medical purposes. Now, we will work to establish a similar residence in Vancouver
● including data collection and digital tools to ensure the needs of Yukon’s French-speaking population are met
● Regulate social workers in the Yukon