The NWT’s health authority is about to start a two-year pilot program that uses case managers to coordinate medical travel appointments and minimize delays and disruption.
The GNWT’s 2026-27 budget included $486,000 for the project, which creates three positions known as medical travel nurse case managers.
They will be tasked with reducing avoidable medical travel costs and improving patient experience.
Medical travel – a necessity in the North, where most people live far from advanced healthcare – is a huge annual cost for the territorial government and a leading cause of patient complaints.
The pilot will be implemented in Yellowknife Primary Care, the health authority said this week.
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Case managers will be given the following priorities:
- better coordination for out-of-territory care;
- examining cases where virtual care would help;
- helping patients “avoid becoming unnecessarily attached to distant health care systems”; and
- reducing travel costs while improving “patient navigation.”
“We will aim to reduce unnecessary travel by supporting care closer to home or virtually, and by bundling appointments to minimize trips,” health authority boss Kim Riles was quoted as saying in a news release.
“This pilot will also strengthen clinical data collection and inform future planning work that benefits all regions, to improve patient experience, outcomes, and the efficient use of financial and clinical resources.”
Recruitment is ongoing. The health authority expects the positions to be filled “over the next several months.”
