The Yukon’s Department of Health and Social Services is launching a system-wide overhaul to improve medical services and cut costs.

“Our responsibility, as a government, is to ensure that we use our resources to provide services that are effective and sustainable, that eliminate health inequalities and improve health outcomes for all Yukoners,” Health Minister Pauline Frost said Thursday.

Frost announced her department will accept all 76 recommendations laid out in an independent review of medical services released in May.

The 207-page Putting People First report highlighted systemic problems in the Yukon’s health system. 

It found that many Yukoners don’t have access to a primary care provider; and there are insufficient supports for seniors and people with disabilities and low incomes.

It concluded many First Nations people have experienced racism in the system; and many aspects of the system don’t communicate with each other.

The report’s 76 recommendations include:

• the creation of Wellness Yukon, a broad-sweeping organization delivering services and managing Yukon’s hospitals; 

• establishing polyclinics;

• increasing the use of virtual care; 

• doubling the medical travel subsidy;

• expanding vaccine programming; 

• enhancing First Nations programming; and

• providing fully-funded early childhood education.

Frost said some of these recommendations are already underway, while others will take longer to implement. 

Premier Sandy Silver announced the government is working on developing a universal, affordable early learning childcare program last month.

“Low-cost, high-quality universal early learning and childcare programs will help our children have the best start possible and remove the biggest barrier to working that parents struggle with,” Frost said.

The minister promised more details on the childcare program “soon.”

Frost provided information on several other recommendations already in the implementation stages.

The medical travel benefit for Yukoners going south will be doubled from $75 to $150 daily and applied to the first day of travel for medical care.

The vaccine program will also be expanded and will offer Shingrix, the shingles vaccine for Yukoners 65 and over.

There will also be the introduction of new cultural safety training and an aging in place plan.

The government is also implementing 1Health, an integrated virtual information system for health practitioners.

Frost said these recommendations will be implemented with a long-term lens.

“While we may not see immediate savings from many of these changes, providing these services helps bend the cost curve and prevent other system costs, and will improve overall health and social outcomes for Yukoners,” Frost said.

Some of the recommendations are more complicated to implement. Frost said the introduction of Wellness Yukon, for example, will be explored beyond the next year. 

Another major change down the road will be the establishment of polyclinics, which will replace the territory’s current system of private doctor’s offices.

Each polyclinic will provide both general and specialized services to approximately 8,000 Yukoners. 

Polyclinics will consist of six primary health care teams composed of a doctor or nurse, a medical assistant and administrative staff.

Polyclinics will be supported by integrated care support groups, including dietitians, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, social workers, home care providers, midwives and mental health supports.

The report envisions that doctors’ offices will transition from private businesses to joining Wellness Yukon under the polyclinic structure and an alternative pay model.

Stephen Samis, the deputy minister of Health, said the department has established a committee with the Yukon Medical Association to collaborate on the recommendations with working doctors.

The report also calls for the government to establish better systems of communication among service providers.

Frost said she recognizes that the system is not communicating well, and improvements are ongoing.

“As we look at our expanded scope of practice going out in the coming months, certainly we want to make sure that all the departments are working well together,” Frost said.

The minister said she is “fully committed” to implementing all the recommendations in the report.

“It will take a bit of time,” Frost said. 

“We have big systems to change, and it won’t be without its challenges, for sure.”