The head of the Yukon Medical Association says a new agreement with the territorial government should make it easier to recruit doctors to the Yukon.
“There’s a national physician shortage. Every jurisdiction is trying to essentially chase after and get physicians,” said Dr. Derek Bryant, president of the association which represents doctors in the territory.
“We’ve modernized our recruitment incentives in a way that we’re actually, we’ve got a fighting chance here of bringing people in so that they can experience the Yukon and fall in love with it, as those of us who are already here have.”
The recently-signed memorandum of agreement between the Yukon Medical Association (YMA) and the territorial government, which is in effect until March 2028, establishes new incentives for family physicians to set up a practice in the Yukon, and also for doctors to take on larger rosters of patients.
“Essentially those who have the capacity to take on more patients are rewarded for taking on more patients and having a larger practice,” Bryant said.
The agreement also provides more overhead support for physicians to operate the business side of their clinics, something Bryant says will allow them to spend more time focusing on patients. Bryant says that’s existed in the past, but the new agreement has “streamlined” the process.
“It’s much more easy to access,” he said. “Essentially anybody with a practice is going to be able to access this overhead support.”
There is also more compensation now for physicians who do administrative work outside of clinic hours.
Bryant said recruiting doctors to the Yukon was a “major focus” of the negotiations with the territory, and the new agreement significantly improves the incentives for doctors to move to the territory. For example, he said, doctors can now get an annual bonus for the first five years they agree to practice in the Yukon.
“The hope is that that will entice people to come work here, try out the Yukon, and essentially have roots put down so that they continue to practice beyond their service agreement,” he said.
“We just don’t have enough physicians to provide primary care to the entire territory without bringing in more. And with this agreement, we hope that we’ll be successful in bringing in more, more physicians that’ll start a practice.”
In a written statement, Health Minister Tracy-Anne McPhee said the agreement with the YMA shows “we are taking practical steps to strengthen our health care system.”
“Yukoners will see the benefits through better access to all care, especially in primary, community and acute care settings.”