Lesa Semmler

Member Inuvik Twin Lakes

Minister of Health and Social Services

Lesa Semmler currently serves as the Member representing Inuvik Twin Lakes in the 20th Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly, having been re-elected to the position. Born in Yellowknife, NT, and raised in Inuvik, where she still resides, Ms. Semmler has deep roots in the Northwest Territories. 

A Registered Nurse, Ms. Semmler graduated from the Aurora College Northern Nursing Program in 2000 and earned her Community Health Nurse Certification from the Canadian Nurses Association in 2008. With 15 years of frontline nursing experience at the Inuvik Regional Hospital, she focused on Acute Care, Homecare, and Public Health. Her career also included roles as the Manager of Acute Care Services and eventually the Regional Manager of Acute Care Services under the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority. Notably, she served as the Inuvialuit Health System Navigator at the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, assisting Inuvialuit Beneficiaries in navigating the healthcare system. 

Beyond her healthcare career, Ms. Semmler has actively contributed to education and community service. She served on the Inuvik District Education Authority, assuming the role of Chair from 2015 to 2018, and chaired the Beaufort Delta Education Council. Ms. Semmler participated in various working groups at the territorial and national levels, including the Inuit Tuberculosis Elimination Board and the Inuit Midwifery Revitalization. Her commitment to social justice is evident in her voluntary work as a member of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls National Family Advisory Circle, where she worked to ensure northern voices were heard and represented. Lesa Semmler's life and career reflect her passion for healthcare, education, and advocating for the well-being of her community.

Inuvik Twin Lakes Electoral District

Committees

Lesa Semmler
Inuvik Twin Lakes
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Email
Constituency Office

125 Mackenzie Rd
Unit 203
Inuvik NT X0E 0T0
Canada

P.O. Box
3130
Constituency Phone
Minister
Email
Minister of Health and Social Services

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 39)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, the PA was hired late December and so now he's doing the -- he's analyzing. So I would not expect him to come in with a work plan. I want him -- his direction was to come in, work with our administration, work with, you know, a lot of our other groups that we have work. He's met with the medical association. He will be meeting with CAN. He will be going out to the regions to meet with the CEOs and how they run their operations. And then he'll be complying what his mandate is into his work plan. And so I'm hoping that I'll be able to share...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 39)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the public administrator has met with the health sustainability unit leadership. Part of his role is to ensure that NTHSSA collaborates with this unit to support the government's goal of improving health services while maintaining fiscal sustainability. So I think they've met a couple of times now. The sustainability, as we all know, works with the entire health and social services system, including all three health authorities, whereas the PA's focus is solely on NTHSSA's operations. This unit, established last year, has a project charter and is...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 39)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, Mr. Speaker, the short answer is NorthwesTel and TSC are working together to trial a new system right now currently. Software and equipment have been procured. Staff are in training. And this will be tested within the next couple weeks, and then the trial -- live trial is expected sometime this month for that system to be ready. So I'm hoping that this will work. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 39)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd have to get more specifics from the Member, and I'm willing to have that conversation with him to figure out what the issue is and what's being -- the breach is, if there is a breach. I mean, we have stringent, like rules around sharing of private information, of health information. So I would further like to discuss this with the Member, and we can deal with it in the appropriate channels. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 39)

Mr. Speaker, right now we have started to transition, and during the last year, we actually have increased some communities with the funding that we're getting through the home -- Inuit home and community and funding that we have within to start to provide after hours and weekend support to those home care clients by home support workers that are hired locally in the community. I have asked the department to do a review of actually the Member's riding to see when was the last time home care assessments were done in her riding. I know that across the territory we've had this conversation -- I...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 39)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, currently, the health and social system is not planning on establishing any type of supervised consumption sites for drugs. We are focused on public health messaging, treatment options. There has been funding provided to use towards distributing and training of community members, naloxone kits. Fentanyl testing strips are also distributed. We also have an existing territorial opioid recovery provided that provides oversight for residents receiving opioid maintenance therapy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 39)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, these standards are in use by any GNWT-funded managed alcohol program and at this time, the only one that's being funded is through the Spruce Bough in Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 39)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the success of the public administrator will be measured on the progress of his mandate deliverables and then also by his work plans. So once the work plan is finalized and he will be following up with me and with -- like, with the deputy minister, with the CEO. We will continue to follow that up. Once the work plan is approved, though, I will be sharing that with committee. And the success will be measured by clear improvements in the financial sustainability, operational effectiveness, and meeting some legal obligations while addressing our residents'...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 38)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the territory currently does not send short-term respite stays. They're not part of the out-of-territory supportive living program; therefore, no funds are being spent on this. There are, however, oftentimes when families have, you know, reached capacity and when they're providing services and sometimes, you know, those needs are so complex that end up -- you know, there's an admission into our health care system, into our hospitals, but there isn't a short-term out-of-territory program. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 38)

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following 14 documents: Additional Information for Written Question 9-20(1): Physician Vacancy Rates; Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 328-20(1): Speech-language Pathologist Positions; Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 340-20(1): Supported Living Review and Recommendations; Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 342-20(1): Primary Care Reform; Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 347-20(1): Physician Workforce Plan; Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 348-20(1): Health Care Services; Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 358-20(1): Primary Care Physicians; Follow-up...