Yukon Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research hosts 4th annual summit: “collaborating in a good way”

Whitehorse, Yukon - The Yukon Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (YSPOR) held its 4th annual health summit on November 4, 2025, at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre (KDCC) in Whitehorse, with digitally-connected hubs in Dawson City and Old Crow. The event brought together community members, researchers, health professionals, and Elders from across the territory to explore the theme collaborating in a good way.

Launched more than four years ago and based at Yukon University, YSPOR was created to help close the gaps between research and healthcare in the Yukon by fostering relationships that put people, and lived experience, at the centre of health innovation.

The summit welcomed more than 170 attendees and began with a sacred fire on a frosty fall morning, followed by a welcome from Chief Sean Smith of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation and Chief Ruth Massie of the Ta’an Kwäch’än Council. Chief Smith reminded participants, “The cold reminds you, you’re alive,” grounding the day in reflection and gratitude for the land and its teachings.

The keynote address was delivered by Dr. Jaris Swidrovich, a member of the Yellow Quill First Nation and the first and only Indigenous faculty member in pharmacy studies in Canada. His talk centered on collaboration, identity, and Reconciliation. Dr. Swidrovich encouraged participants to “think of ways you can do things in a good way” and reflected on how “our stories are like musical notes - all different, yet capable of harmony when we come together.” Speaking openly about his own journey as an Indigenous Two-Spirit person, he described walking in two worlds and learning to bring his “fullest self” to every collaboration. His message of authenticity and interconnectedness resonated deeply with attendees.

The summit also featured a sharing circle where patients and community members spoke about their lived experiences in the healthcare system and their involvement in research. Participants discussed the importance of emotional safety, confronting unconscious bias and racism, and reimagining collaboration in spaces where trust in healthcare may be fragile.

Among the presenters was Kat Secord, who shared her experience as a patient partner and co-researcher on a project “dance interventions in long-term care and their impact on quality of life: a patient-initiated, patient co-led systematic review.

“I’m not seeing definite results yet in the healthcare system,” she said, “but I do see definite results in the people doing research. Any kind of change that makes healthcare work better, that’s a plus in my mind.” Secord highlighted how YSPOR’s approach is already changing research practice in the North by valuing oral input, conversation, and relationship-based engagement.

The Summit also welcomed a panel of health professionals, many working for several Yukon First Nations, who discussed a project looking to understand Yukoners’ attitudes toward vaccines. Their collaboration demonstrated how community-driven partnerships can improve public health outcomes and build trust. The conversation connected to broader examples of collective work in the territory, such as the Health Transformation Committee that’s bringing together every Yukon Nation to co-design health systems “in a good way.”

During the panel Yukon Grand Chief Math’ieya Alatini emphasized the importance of meaningful engagement, noting that genuine collaboration takes time and care. “If you want meaningful engagement, you have to resource time, give the project and the people space,” she said.

The day concluded with an Elders’ panel, where speakers expressed gratitude for the opportunity to gather and share stories. One participant, a woman from the Prairies living in Whitehorse who is navigating complex care needs, spoke about the comfort she found in being welcomed into this space that was honouring connection to culture through Elders.

From start to finish, YSPOR Health Summit 2025 celebrated the power of people, stories, and relationships to shape research that truly reflects the needs of Yukoners. As one attendee shared, “YSPOR is doing great work in the community and uplifts the intention to put people before policy.”