Yukon Hospitals

03/25/2026

Meet Jennifer Madley. She’s a registered nurse on the cancer care team at Whitehorse General Hospital. Jennifer works out of Karen’s room, a unit dedicated to providing chemotherapy and immunotherapy to cancer patients.

Jennifer helps provide care. She also works to organize day to day operations and coordinate with people getting treatment.

For Jennifer, one of the best parts of the job is connecting with the people she cares for. “Our patients are so kind and thankful. It’s a really rewarding place to work,” she says.

A born and raised Yukoner, when she’s not working, Jennifer can be found cross country skiing and camping with her kids.

Read a full Q&A with Jennifer and learn more about cancer care in the Yukon at www.yukonhospitals.ca/en/whitehorse-general-hospital/programs-and-services/cancer-care

03/21/2026

03/19/2026

Congrats to Dr. Alex Poole and Hospital Pharmacist Josianne Gauthier who today received Meritorious Service Medals from the Governor General of Canada for their contributions to frostbite care.

Dr. Poole and Gauthier were the first people in North America to use the drug iloprost to treat frostbite. That’s resulted in less patients needing fingers and toes amputated.

It all started about 12 years ago when Dr. Poole was treating a patient with severe frostbite. He called Gauthier to see if the hospital pharmacy had any iloprost, medication typically used for pulmonary arterial hypertension. When Gauthier told him the drug was not sold in Canada, it could have stopped there. But Dr. Poole and Gauthier began to dig deeper. They started looking into using iloprost to treat frostbite and applied to the Health Canada Special Access Program. They got the greenlight to import the drug.

From there, they developed a protocol for frostbite care – that’s a sort of “how to” for medical treatments. Shortly after developing the protocol, a cold snap hit and Whitehorse General Hospital saw some patients with frostbite. The protocol worked. Then, they published articles about their experience in the Canadian Medical Association Journal and other publications. Their phones have been ringing off the hook ever since. They get calls all the time from other healthcare providers wanting to use their protocol. Now, it is used all across the country.

“We kind of became frostbite experts,” says Gauthier. “It is not like we wanted to. It just happened.”

“It was a good example of team-based care,” says Dr. Poole. “It made a difference for Yukoners and, turns out, it made a difference for all Canadians.”

Dr. Poole and Gauthier have since helped to found the Canadian Frostbite Care Network, connecting people interested in frostbite care nationally.

Pictured: Dr. Alex Poole (left) and Josianne Gauthier (right). Photo by Archbould Photography

03/17/2026

Meet Dr. Alex Kmet! Alex wears two hats on the cancer care team at Yukon Hospitals. He’s a General Practitioner (GP) Oncologist – that means he’s a doctor that knows a lot about cancer. He’s also a Pain and Symptom Specialist. Alex says the two jobs go together very well.

“You're able to build a relationship with people, and the vulnerability they’re willing to share, and the trust they’re willing to give, those are really precious things,” says Alex about being part of the cancer care team.

Read a full Q&A with Alex and learn more about cancer care in the Yukon at https://yukonhospitals.ca/en/about-us/news-events/news/telling-our-story-cancer-care-yukoners

03/16/2026

Walk-in X-ray services at Whitehorse General Hospital (WGH) will be limited on Tuesday, March 17. We will be doing routine maintenance on our equipment. If you need an X-ray, please consider visiting on another day or be prepared for longer wait times on Tuesday.

We will maintain capacity for emergency X-rays. Regular walk in X-ray service will resume on Wednesday, March 18.

03/12/2026

March is Pharmacy Appreciation Month. Did you know that Yukon Hospitals has a pharmacy team? It is made up of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who play a vital role in patient care. The team provides medications and clinical services to all three hospitals in the territory.

Hospital pharmacists work alongside doctors, nurses, and the rest of the healthcare team to make sure patients get the best care possible. Pharmacists identify drug-related reasons for admission, interpret tests, optimize drug therapy, provide patient education and work with community pharmacies on discharge. From reviewing complex drug regimens to being integral parts of the Cancer Care team to improving our use of technology, pharmacists are at the forefront of medication safety.

Pharmacy technicians are the backbone of medication distribution. They handle inventory management, prepare specialized medications including IV cancer treatments, and accurately prepare and stock medications for all patient care areas. At Yukon Hospitals, pharmacy techs also collect and document home medication histories.

The Whitehorse General Hospital Pharmacy also provides medications for all Yukon community health centres, EMS and government partners such as the Yukon Immunization Program.

This month, let’s appreciate the work that goes into keeping patients safe and healthy. Instead of being behind the traditional pharmacy counter you may see at a drug store, hospital pharmacy professionals can be found throughout the building in all sorts of roles from leadership to bedside. Hospital pharmacy is about collaboration, precision, and putting patient care first.

03/10/2026

We’d like to give a big shout out to RPAY - Recreation & Parks Association of the Yukon for donating materials for patient activity kits! Our friendly visitor volunteers will offer these kits to patients who are on extended stays at Whitehorse General Hospital. Kits include modeling clay, origami, traditional beading materials, puzzles, colouring books, connect the dots, rainbow scratch paper and more! These kits are expected to roll out next week. Thank you RPAY!

03/10/2026

You can make a difference! Volunteer with our friendly visitor program at Dawson City Community Hospital. If you’re 17+ and compassionate, help brighten a patient’s day through conversation, games, reading, or sharing a cup of tea.

Flexible schedules to fit your life. Be part of a community that cares. Volunteer today! For more info, email volunteer@yukonhospitals.ca, phone 867-393-8673, or go to yukonhospitals.ca/en/about-us/careers-volunteers/volunteer

03/03/2026

Meet Medical Laboratory Technologist (MLT) Brianna Aitken! Brianna works in the lab at Whitehorse General Hospital (WGH). When you get tests such as bloodwork done, people like Brianna analyze it in many different ways to look for anything that might help your healthcare provider figure out the next steps for your care. The WGH lab is the primary hub for medical lab testing in the Yukon.

Brianna has been an MLT for almost 13 years now. Starting on the job fresh out of school, Brianna originally took a six-month term position at the hospital but extended it indefinitely.

“Every day is just something different,” says Brianna. “You don’t get bored. You’re not stuck sitting for hours on end. You’re constantly in a state of moving. It keeps you active, it keeps you moving, and it keeps your brain working throughout the day.”

Read a full Q&A with Brianna on our website, www.yukonhospitals.ca

02/26/2026

Our hospitals remain committed to truth and reconciliation, cultural safety and health service integration. We will continue to work with individual Yukoners, Yukon First Nations, partner agencies and communities across the territory.

Identified and shaped by Yukoners, these commitments serve as a guide to us as we continue to implement practical, meaningful actions each day.

Our intent is to make real and lasting change not only within our organization, but to also help build a better, more seamless experience for any Yukoner, looking to access health services.

At its heart, health care is grounded in the understanding that everyone has a right to the best possible care, in a way that is respectful, free of discrimination and culturally safe. We don't always get it right, but each day we are reminded that we have much work to do.

Some of the actions we're working on to advance our commitments include:
• Improving our feedback process that ensures we better understand patient experiences and any inequity in the hospital system -- and how to address it.
• Developing welcoming spaces that make Indigenous culture visible and help with supporting a safer, healing environment, such as the renaming of our inpatient units and developing outdoor space for ceremony and traditional practices.
• Opening a new mental health unit with a program and space designed to provide more culturally appropriate, person-centred care.
• Increasing representation of Indigenous Peoples in our workforce and removing barriers to pursuing health care careers through ongoing implementation of our Indigenous Workforce Strategy.
• Expanding cultural safety and humility training across the organization to build on YFN101 that is required learning for all health providers and hospital staff.

Significant collaboration and partnership has taken place over the last several years to help build a health system that is more responsive, accessible and safe for Yukoners. We are committed to working together to ensure this vision continues to be advanced.

Within the hospitals, we will continue to work towards making Yukon First Nations ways of knowing, doing and being part of everything we do. This means acknowledging the truth of hospitals and health care – it is a system that’s not always safe or accessible for everyone. It has had a historical role in colonialism, discrimination and harm. We will learn from this and do the work necessary.

Our continued goal is to provide care in a way that results in the best outcomes for all Yukoners every time.

02/19/2026

Shout out to everyone who helped with the annual Rendezvous pancake breakfast at WGH this morning! The Yukon Hospitals Senior Management team served up stacks of flapjacks, with the proceeds going to the Yukon Hospital Foundation. Happy Rendezvous!

02/18/2026

Yukon Hospitals are very busy. In particular, our emergency department and inpatient units in Whitehorse are once again experiencing higher than normal volume and demand.

Here’s what you need to know:
- If you need urgent care, don’t hesitate to go to the nearest emergency department or dial 911.

- Wait times in WGH’s emergency department may be longer than usual. We appreciate your patience and understanding during these times. Our team continues to prioritize urgent needs.

- For non-emergency situations or less urgent needs, please call your healthcare provider. In Whitehorse, you can phone the Whitehorse Walk-In Medical Clinic. You can also dial 811 for health advice from a Registered Nurse. For minor ailments, your pharmacist may be able to help.

- You may be cared for in a non-traditional space.

We are committed to safe and excellent hospital care for all Yukoners. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.