** About Us **
The Whitehorse General Hospital (WGH) is the primary acute care facility in the Yukon. The hospital services the City of Whitehorse and all communities within the Yukon, offering acute care 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
A highly respected First Nations Health Program ensures that aboriginal peoples will receive care appropriate to their culture and traditions. WGH works closely with a variety of community-based health care organizations to support patient care.
The hospital is equipped with a full Laboratory, Medical Imaging Centre, and a Therapies Centre which provide services to both the hospital and community.
History Of Whitehorse General Hospital
** History **
In order to understand the culture and the future direction of the YHC, it is important to know its history. The YHC was established in 1989 by the Yukon Hospital Act. An interim Board of Trustees was appointed at that time. Prior to this date, the organization was known as the Whitehorse General Hospital (WGH). The hospital's long history began in the Yukon in 1902 when an eight to 10 bed building was erected.
Yukon Archives, Ernest Brown fonds, #892
This grew to a 30 bed hospital during World War I. In 1943, another wing of 10 beds was added. Another 20 bed wing was added in 1949, and a final wing for operating and case rooms was completed in 1951. In 1943 the U.S. Army also built a 300 bed hospital. However, the need for beds gradually lessened and the building was used by other military departments. In 1959 the past hospital was built to replace the buildings downtown. It was owned and managed by National Health and Welfare, Medical Services Branch. Many of the decisions were made in Ottawa.
Yukon Archives, Bud and Jeanne (Connolly) Harbottle fonds, #6187
In 1990, the YHC and its Board were created in preparation for the First Phase Transfer Agreement for health services between the Yukon Territorial Government and the Federal Government. The YHC, Yukon Territorial Government (YTG), and the Council of Yukon Indians (CYI) (now known as Council of Yukon First Nations CYFN) entered into an agreement to create a First Nations Health Committee of the Board of Trustees. This was to ensure that any changes to programs offered by the Corporation would support self-government agreements for Yukon First Nations. The Director of First Nations Health Programs was appointed to assume responsibility for the management of the program at the WGH. On April 1, 1993 the WGH operations were officially transferred to the YHC. Construction started on the current building in 1994. In the winter of 1996-1997 hospital departments started relocating. Parts of the old hospital were totally renovated and the final moves were completed in the fall of 1997.
Yukon Archives, Rod MacDougall fonds, 89/57, #39.
Originally Health Canada, Medical Services Branch had agreed to transfer all Universal Health Programs to the YTG in two phases, Phase I - the Whitehorse General Hospital - in 1993, and Phase 2 in 1996. YTG established the YHC as the principal delivery agent for Phase 1 programs. Phase 2 included Community Nursing Stations, Cottage Hospitals, Dental Health, Mental Health, Public Health, CDU Clinics, and Continuing Care. The Phase 2 transfer to YHC never occurred due to a change in government and the new government's decision that the transfer would be too great a change and the responsibilities too onerous for the YHC. At present, the YHC's responsibilities are limited to the WGH.
The WGH currently employs over 350 staff and has 49 in-patient beds, 10 bassinets for newborns, and 10 surgical day care beds, an emergency department and OR suites. The hospital is equipped with a full range of medical imaging services - CT scanning, digital mammography and ultrasound. WGH also offers laboratory services, a therapies department, as well as a broad range of specialists both medical and surgical.
