The territorial government says it has made “significant progress” to address staffing challenges in the health care system since the release of the Health Human Resources Strategy in December 2023.

Actions and accomplishments have included:

• Providing an additional $120,000 to support the Yukon Medical Association to enhance its physician recruitment program and $20,000 to hire a medical advisor to support developing a medical residency program.

• Signing a four-year funding agreement with the federal government through the Foreign Credential Recognition Project to support the integration of internationally educated health professionals in the Yukon.

• Engaging through anonymous surveys and in-person focus groups with health and social professionals from the government, Yukon Hospital Corp. and Kwanlin Dün First Nation and physicians through the Yukon Medical Council.

The goal is to gain insights into lived experience and ideas to support the development of initiatives to retain and recruit health professionals in the Yukon.

• Participation in career fairs across Canada to promote health and social services positions in the Yukon.

Since January 2023, the Department of Health and Social Services has filled 198 nursing positions. The hirings include 145 Registered Nurses and 53 Licenced Practical Nurses.

As of Feb. 23 of this year, the community nursing vacancy rate dropped to approximately 15 per cent for Primary Health Care Nurses.

“This is a significant improvement from the 47-per-cent vacancy rate for Primary Health Care Nurses on July 15, 2022, and the 39-per-cent vacancy rate for Primary Health Care Nurses on December 6, 2022,” the government said Wednesday.

It plans to release the next progress update in April.

“The health and wellbeing of Yukoners is improved by a strong and thriving territory,” said Health and Social Services Minister Tracy-Anne McPhee.

“The progress made on recruiting and retaining nurses and health care professionals will strengthen our health and social service systems as we continue to fill crucial health care roles.

“I look forward to sharing more Health Human Resource Strategy achievements, as we continue to retain, recruit and plan for health care professions to come live and work in our beautiful territory.”

In response to the global shortage of health care workers and the Yukon’s health human resource challenges, the government and the hospital corporation helped form a Health Human Resources Steering Committee in July 2023.

This past December, the government, corporation and health partners released a new Health Human Resources Strategy.

That document outlined 25 actions to expand the Yukon’s existing health workforce.

Those personnel include physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, traditional healers, social services and support staff.