The Government of Yukon, the Yukon Hospital Corporation, and the Department of National Defence’s Canadian Forces Health Services have been working together to develop a memorandum of understanding to provide health care training and workforce supports in the Yukon.
This partnership will create new opportunities for Canadian Forces Health Services healthcare providers to maintain and enhance their skills while supporting the Yukon’s health care workforce.
Through this memorandum of understanding Canadian Forces Health Services nurses, physicians and other health professionals will visit the Yukon to learn, boost and share their expertise and enhance services across the territory by joining the Yukon health workforce in health workplaces and in all three hospitals, starting this month.
Canadian Forces Health Services professionals will work in settings such as critical care, emergency room, operating room and medical-surgical roles throughout the territory. The partnership will also explore additional opportunities to gain training in primary health care services. This unique and innovative partnership is part of the effort to implement the Government of Yukon’s Health Human Resources Strategy. Released in December 2023, key pillars of the strategy are to enable a collaborative environment for learning and professional growth and create innovative partnerships that create change. Both the Yukon workforce and Canadian Forces Health Services personnel will benefit from sharing and enhancing their professional knowledge and skills in the territory.
The Government of Yukon’s Department of Health and Social Services and the Yukon Hospital Corporation are proud to foster and support these learning and training opportunities between Yukon’s health workforce and the Department of National Defence’s Canadian Forces Health Services.
This exciting partnership will help boost the health care of all Yukoners. By encouraging short-term education-focused tours of work across our health care system, we can continue to ensure Yukoners have access to quality care. Canadian Forces Health Services health professionals will be able to maintain existing and learn new clinical skills while helping Yukoners receive high-quality health care. The Yukon will be able to expand the pool of talented health professionals with local experience. We look forward to welcoming these health care professionals to assist Yukoners in our beautiful territory.
Minister of Health and Social Services Tracy-Anne McPhee
We are excited to embark on this learning partnership with the Canadian Forces Health Services. This collaboration not only supports the professional development of CFHS personnel but also enhances our ability to provide exceptional health care services in the Yukon. This is one of many strategies to maintain a strong, skilled workforce through learning opportunities and innovative approaches such as building pan-national relationships. By working together, we can continue to strengthen our health care system for the benefit of all Yukoners.
Chair of the Board of Trustees Yukon Hospital Corporation Allan Lucier
Canadian Forces Health Services – CHFS – members are highly skilled health professionals, and their experiences will greatly benefit care provided to Yukoners. A strong understanding of territorial health care service delivery is vital to operations as we increase the Canadian Armed Forces’ presence in the Arctic. This partnership will improve our readiness to deliver quality care in the North.
Minister of National Defence The Honourable Bill Blair
To address the global shortage of health care workers and the Yukon’s health human resource challenges, the Government of Yukon and the Yukon Hospital Corporation helped form the Health Human Resource Steering Committee in March 2023. This new partnership with the Government of Yukon, Yukon Hospital Corporation and the Department of National Defence is one of numerous initiatives to retain, recruit, plan, innovate and learn how to attract talented health professionals in the Yukon.
This health partnership introduces Canadian Forces Health Services health professionals to Yukon health care sites and hospitals where they will maintain and enhance their current skills and share their knowledge and skills with the workforce and patients.
The partnership will provide continuing education experiences for Canadian Forces Health Services members to maintain and enhance their clinical skills between their deployments and contribute to the health and wellness of Yukoners.
Laura Seeley
Cabinet Communications
867-332-7627
Laura.Seeley@yukon.ca
Zachary Burke
Communications, Health and Social Services
867-334-7986
zachary.burke@yukon.ca
Jessica Apolloni
Communications, Yukon Hospitals
867-335-7700
jessica.apolloni@yukonhospitals.ca