N.W.T.'s name-your-price initiative for doctors has filled most shifts at Yellowknife ER

The Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority says nearly all its shifts at Stanton Territorial Hospital's emergency department are now filled.

That's thanks to the success of a temporary bidding system where it invited doctors to name their price to work those shifts.

Now, all shifts in July and nearly all in August have been filled, the health authority said in a news release Thursday.

That staves off the need for more drastic measures, like forcing emergency room staff to work excessive hours or do back-to-back shifts. The health authority didn't address whether it would mean virtual physicians — one of the more controversial measures under consideration — are now off the table too.

"Though this initiative is not expected to be used on an ongoing basis, the [health authority] will use the knowledge gained through this to prepare for future needs," the news release stated.

The news release quotes Dr. Courtney Howard, the president of the Northwest Territories Medical Association, calling the development "a tremendous relief."

Howard sounded the alarm in April about impending staff shortages that she feared could lead to closures at the ER.

"We understand that moving forward the thought is to develop a mechanism whereby similar initiatives can be used during other anticipated high-needs times," Howard said in the news release. "We strongly support this as a proactive approach to prevent the stress involved in last-minute staffing crises."