Yukon gov't touts new 'road map' for finding and keeping health workers

The Yukon government says its new 28-page strategy for dealing with the territory's ongoing shortage of health-care workers is aimed at making the territory a "workplace of choice" for health professionals.

The strategy, developed this year by a specially-appointed steering committee, was presented on Wednesday by Health Minister Tracy-Anne McPhee, alongside committee members, at a news conference in Whitehorse.

McPhee called it a "road map forward," and said she was excited by the strategy.

"Never in the history — I will go out on a limb to say probably anywhere in Canada — has a table like this, with expertise, professionals and decision-makers, come together in a relatively short period of time to develop a strategy that is focused on providing care to the citizens of this territory," McPhee said.

She said the government is putting $3.3 million toward implementing the strategy over the next three years.

The strategy document outlines 25 "actions" to be undertaken over the next three years, aimed at building a fuller and more stable workforce in health. Those actions range from streamlining licensing, to offering better financial incentives.

Other actions are a little more vaguely defined. One is to develop new recruitment strategies, and another is to develop new retention strategies. 

"While we recognize that not all the initiatives in this strategy are new, what is different is our shared commitment to moving forward on them together," reads a message from the steering committee, included in the report.

The committee, formed in March, includes representatives from the government, as well as the Yukon Hospital Corporation, Yukon University, associations of health professionals, and the Kwanlin Dün First Nation, among others.

Yukon has been struggling with high vacancies and turnover in the health sector, leading to temporary closures of rural health centres, cancelled surgeries, and leaving thousands of Yukoners without family doctors.

The report suggests the pressures on the system are not likely to change anytime soon. 

"Similar to many other regions across Canada, the Yukon is experiencing increased demand for high quality care driven by a growing and aging population, changing patient expectations, and a substance use health emergency," it reads.

"Additionally, we are facing pressures caused by a shortage of health workers, compounded by limited training opportunities, complex licensure processes, and limited availability of affordable housing. These factors make it challenging to retain, attract, and integrate health workers into local communities."

According to the report, there were times this past summer when more than a third of the territory's nursing positions were vacant. It also says that as of March, 17 per cent of Yukoners lacked access to a family doctor.

Another problem, it says, is that the Health Department "does not have the necessary data and tools to effectively evaluate, improve, and plan for a coordinated health system."

'Only so many of us'

Yukon Medical Association president Alex Kmet, speaking at Wednesday's news conference, said he sees "hope" in the strategy.

"Doctors, nurses and other health care team members are doing all they can to meet the demands of the system. But there are only so many of us," he said.

"This strategy responds to the challenges we face and seeks to ensure that we can scale up our workforce in the face of growing demand and we believe it can do that."

Yukon Hospital Corporation CEO Jason Bilsky also spoke on Wednesday, calling the strategy "not just a plan, it's a commitment to excellence."

"It's a comprehensive approach to ensure that we meet the evolving needs for all Yukoners," Bilsky said.

Yukon NDP Leader Kate White was less enthused. In a statement on Wednesday, she said the strategy ignores social workers and "other allied professionals who work in healthcare settings."

White also said it doesn't show how the government will "respect and honour" the health care employees it already has.

"Handing out retention bonuses to nurses while ignoring all other healthcare workers shows a lack of respect and understanding," White said.

"I'm happy to see the Liberals are optimistic about health care. But, we've heard that before, and the reality hasn't changed on the ground."