Government of Yukon
News archives
FOR RELEASE #08-278
November 5, 2008
Three-Year Agreement Provides Certainty for Hospital, Government
WHITEHORSE – A three-year financial agreement has been signed that will see hospital contributions increased by six per cent each year, beginning this year, Health and Social Services Minister Glenn Hart and Yukon Hospital Corporation Board chair Craig Tuton today announced.
“This agreement not only provides the hospital with sufficient funding for three years, but it also ensures the hospital can focus on providing services rather than being concerned with chasing funding,” Hart said.
“This is a very positive step,” Tuton said. “This is sufficient funding to allow us to continue to provide our consistent, high quality programming for Yukon residents, and it also meets one of the goals within our hospital’s strategic plan to stabilize our funding.”
Total hospital funding for 2008/09 is $32,129,000. That will increase to $35,482,000 next year and to $37,842,000 in 2010/11.
Funding will be used, in part, to develop a secure medical unit within the hospital.
“This is not a new program but will allow the hospital to establish a secure in-patient area that is much safer for both patients and staff,” Hart said. “We are pleased to be able to assist them with this change.”
Tuton said the intent is to create a six-room unit, with two seclusion rooms, two “safe” rooms and two standard in-patient rooms.
“The seclusion rooms will only be used for those individuals committed under the Mental Health Act,” said Tuton, adding he expects this unit will be ready by the end of this fiscal year, and staffed 24 hours a day by a mental health nurse and a support person. The hospital will be hiring six mental health nurses to staff the unit.
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| Contact: | ||
| Roxanne Vallevand Cabinet Communications 867-633-7949 roxanne.vallevand@gov.yk.ca |
Pat Living, Communications Health and Social Services 867-667-3673 patricia.living@gov.yk.ca |
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| Val Pike, Community Liaison Whitehorse General Hospital 867-393-8784 val.pike@wgh.yk.ca |