Yukon Hospitals is pleased to announce the launch of a planning project to integrate Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (NP) roles into our interdisciplinary care team.
This is a priority initiative within our 2025-27 Operational Plan and reflects our commitment to improving access to timely, high-quality care for patients. Introducing nurse practitioners in acute care is expected to enhance clinical outcomes, support collaborative care delivery, and help address increasing demands on hospital teams.
“Planning for the integration of an acute care nurse practitioner marks an important step forward in modernizing our approach to patient care,” said Stefanie Ralph, Executive Director for Patient Care, Access and Flow. “This role will complement our existing physician and nursing teams and help ensure that patients receive safe, responsive, and comprehensive care.”
The planning phase includes a detailed needs assessment, engagement with key stakeholders, and development of a care model that aligns with Yukon Hospitals' priorities. It will also explore how nurse practitioners can support continuity of care and strengthen interprofessional collaboration and support continuity of care for patients.
Expected outcomes of this project include a recommended model for NP integration in acute care settings, identification of priority areas for implementation, and a clear path forward for recruitment and onboarding. Recommendations will be informed by best practices and tailored to Yukon’s unique context.
To support this work, Yukon Hospitals has engaged two experienced Nurse Practitioners: Lee Holliday and Melissa Bock.
- Lee Holliday brings extensive experience as a nurse practitioner in Continuing Care and primary care settings in rural Yukon. Her work is informed by involvement with the Nurse Practitioner Association of Canada and past contributions to national NP initiatives. While not an acute care NP, Lee brings a 'Yukon' lens to this project encompassing knowledge of Yukon NP practice, Yukon health systems, and Yukon NP legislation and regulations. She is passionate about the role NPs can play in delivering excellent care across all healthcare settings in the territory.
- Melissa Bock is a doctorate-prepared nurse practitioner with over 15 years of clinical experience, specializing in mental health and addictions. She currently serves as manager of professional practice and nursing development at a large academic healthcare facility and teaches in Ontario’s consortium Nurse Practitioner program through McMaster University. Melissa brings an acute care NP perspective with expertise in program and policy development and has previously supported exploratory NP work with Yukon Hospitals. She is passionate about advancing nursing practice and strengthening team-based care through the integration of NPs.
This planning project is expected to be completed in Fall 2025.