Whitehorse General Hospital will formally add surgical hours, beginning September 9. This expansion is part of ongoing efforts to meet the growing needs of our community and improve timely access to surgical services.
This year, we project that we will provide 4,400 surgeries – more procedures than any year previous. This is part of a continued year-over-year increase of the number of procedures performed in territory. By extending our surgical hours, this better positions the hospital to address increasing demands and improve patient care.
To support the extended hours, several new positions have been added to our team, including full-time Nurses, Medical Device Reprocessing Technicians, and additional support for Operating Room Booking and Registration and Environment Services. Through focused efforts to advance the Yukon health human resources strategy, the hospital has successfully recruited several permanent staff to reduce our reliance on temporary agency staff.
These new roles are critical in ensuring that the extended hours run smoothly and that our patients continue to receive the highest standard of care. This initiative also allows us to relieve some pressure on and provide greater flexibility for our dedicated staff, while ensuring that urgent and emergent cases are addressed promptly.
Demand for hospital services continues to increase. This expansion is one step toward meeting that need however pressure on our services is continuing which impacts wait times and hospital capacity.
These additional resources are made possible through support and funding from Yukon Government. This initiative underscores continued efforts towards improved health services for Yukoners.