Alliance Health to Reopen Primary Care Clinic in Whitehorse Under Nurse Practitioner Management

Whitehorse, Yukon -- Alliance Health, a company co-founded by family nurse practitioners, has signed a letter of intent with the Yukon government to operate a primary care clinic, the former site of a medical clinic. Alliance Health will take over operations on May 1.

The co-founders, who have worked at various clinics in Whitehorse, established Alliance Health after managing the contract for the Yukon's sexual health clinic. They plan to onboard additional primary care nurse practitioners to support clinic operations. Physicians currently at the location will continue seeing patients as part of the team.

The clinic faced a planned closure announced in December, which would have affected patients served by the physicians.

The Yukon government intervened to prevent the closure by partnering with Alliance Health. Officials stated that the government's support includes recruiting nurse practitioners for primary care.

This effort is expected to provide access to primary care for additional Yukoners over the next two years. The transition addresses concerns raised by residents following the closure announcement, which was set for the end of February.

model draws from the founders' experience at the women's midlife clinic and the Yukon sexual health clinic, which serve specific populations.

The new clinic aims to expand services to cover primary care across all life stages, from birth to death. This includes helping patients navigate health systems and access preventative care. In the long term, the clinic plans to offer services on evenings and weekends once operations stabilize.

The immediate focus is on providing consistent access to care. The Yukon government will provide support for recruitment and operations.

Yukon faces ongoing challenges in primary care access, with many residents lacking family doctors.

The reopening of this clinic affects patients previously served at the site. Next steps include onboarding staff and resuming full services on May 1, with potential expansion in hours to follow.