While the NWT system has issues, individuals are winning health awards

As a whole, the NWT’s healthcare system has faced years of challenges. Within that system, some people are picking up awards for their efforts.

From short staffing to limited access to modern and specialized healthcare equipment, there’s no shortage of recent reporting on frustrations experienced both by patients in the NWT and by the people who treat them.

But recently, some of the individuals within the territory’s healthcare network have been recognized for the work they’re putting in.

For example, staff working on Inuvik Regional Hospital’s surgical team recently received a rural leadership award from the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada.

The society said the Inuvik team had given Beaufort Delta patients “high-quality care close to home” while creating a “rich learning environment for medical trainees.”

“The team includes a group of deeply respected GP surgeons and obstetrical surgical providers who have served as mentors, educators, and tireless advocates for their patients and community,” the society stated.

The NWT’s health authority said the Inuvik surgical team, operating room manager and nurses had “shown resilience and innovation in delivering essential surgical services for the region.”

Dr Patrick Laflèche accepted the award on the team’s behalf at a Winnipeg ceremony.

Laflèche also received a bursary from the society related to enhanced surgical skills and obstetric surgical skills.

Inuvik physician Dr David Urquhart said those skills are vital to the town.

“Because we are 1,100 kilometres by air from Yellowknife, it would be very hard to have an obstetrical program – and have safe labour and delivery here – without someone who could do C-sections,” Urquhart told Cabin Radio.

“Having ESS and OSS physicians available here is really essential to keeping not just the operating room open, but also the obstetrical program.”

Laflèche was described by colleagues and the health authority as dedicated to his work, working tirelessly whenever he’s needed. He has been with Inuvik Regional Hospital for several years and has served on two missions with Doctors Without Borders.

Another Inuvik physician, Dr Gail Robson, recently received the NWT Medical Association’s 2025 Award for Leadership Excellence in Health Care.

The territory’s health authority said she had been honoured for her “exceptional leadership and lasting impact on health services.”

“Gail Robson is an outstanding leader and community member,” said Urquhart. “She never loses sight of our purpose as a health system, serving patients and communities. She’s an impassioned advocate for primary care and obstetrics, culturally appropriate care, anti-racist and inclusive practices.”

Urquhart said Robson is also “deeply involved in trying to improve mental health care in our region, which has been easy to overlook, and a fundamental part of everyone’s health.”

He described Robson’s work as ranging from the emergency room to obstetrics, reproductive health, home care and long-term care outreach.

“She’s probably held in the most positive regard, as close to universally among patients, physicians and other people as any physician could be,” Urquhart said.

“I think our health system would do well with more people like Gail in it.”

The Inuvik staff aren’t the only ones being recognized. Yellowknife physician Dr Sarah Cook was one of 11 people given the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada’s Rural Service Award.

This award recognizes doctors who have provided services in remote and rural Canada for 10 years or more. Cook has been in the NWT for 17 years.

Asked how she handles the North’s healthcare challenges like short staffing and accessibility, Cook said: “It’s key to be able to work effectively in teams. I rely heavily on the interdisciplinary teams with which I work.”

“The biggest challenge is when the resources we have to work with are inadequate to allow us to provide the level of care we feel like we should,” she said.

“We hear a lot of frustration about access to care. So people are having a lot of difficulty getting in for appointments, whether it’s in Yellowknife or one of our remote communities. And again, this is a common issue across Canada. It is very, very frustrating for patients, but it is also extraordinarily frustrating for us as providers.

“We care about the quality of care we provide and how our patients can access that quality care. That can create, I would say, some moral distress for healthcare providers and physicians, to have a situation where you want to be able to provide better quality care, better access, or access to things that we might not have here, but not being able to do that – I think that’s one of the biggest challenges.”