Yes, the department is certainty looking at developing what we are calling a digital care strategy. This digital care strategy will help us make decisions when to use technology to improve patient care in the Northwest Territories. The virtual care enables health practitioners to meet with each other and with patients over distance will be a key component of this strategy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

To reduce the need for medical travel, steps are being taken for residents to be able to access services in their home community or their region wherever possible. The department and the authorities are looking into identifying options to provide services in the Northwest Territories that residents currently have to travel south for. Some examples are injections for migraines, also the skin surveys, as well as allergy testing. These are some of the areas where our department is looking at efficiencies, as well as we continue to work with our telehealth care to reduce the need for patient to travel outside the community.

The top three reasons for the increase in medical travel -- well, she has asked for the top three; there are many. Medical travel is a complex program, but the top three reasons for the increase in the costs is, number one, the cost for transportation and accommodation has increased; prices for tickets and hotels are increasing. That's number one.

Number two is that we have a number of complex cases where patients require travel beyond Edmonton for more specialized care, and also for longer periods of time, as well as increased number of non-medical escorts who are accommodating patients to travel and, in part due to changes in the GNWT's medical travel policy, to provide these additional supports.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over the last five years, our medical travel has increased in our department by 43 percent. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Member is talking about an HR issue, and it is something that our department is looking into. We'll respond back to the Member; however, I'm not prepared to discuss any human resource issues on the floor today.

I am not sure what that means, but I will look into what the Member is referring to. I do want to talk a little bit about the primary healthcare reform. This is something that the department is working on. It's a long-term commitment, and it will take time to achieve system-wide cultural change. The primary healthcare reform is an initiative that we are advancing, with cultural safety and relationship care as key priorities for Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member and I are having discussions right now with some of his concerns. He's raised concerns, and I'm working with my department and the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority to have a discussion on the Member's concern.

I agree with the Member that access to safe and sober housing is important to individuals who recover from addictions. Our department's mental wellness and addictions recovery action plan makes a commitment to work with partners to identify transitional housing options for people returning from addictions treatment. This concept is also included in the mandate of this Assembly. Yes, the department will be working with our partners to determine how we can establish transitional housing supports in the Northwest Territories. I agree this may not make addictions a thing of the past, but it will go a long way towards supporting people trying to make a change in their lives. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I think the Member is referring to the Pathfinders with the Integrated Case Management program that is currently run by the Department of Justice. The Department of Health and Social Services participates in this intergovernmental working group, which oversees the initiative. Yes, the department will continue to work with Justice to determine how lessons learned from this program can be applied to improve access to services in the NWT. The key is not about the Pathfinder positions in the communities; it is about taking a different approach to how the government provides services to its residents.