A career rooted in community: Dr. Lynne Harrigan reflects on 37 years of service

As she reflects on nearly 37 years in medicine, Dr. Lynne Harrigan is grateful for the opportunities she has had, proud to have followed in her general internist father's footsteps, and thankful she discovered early on the rewards of practising in a smaller community.

An internal medicine specialist, Lynne earned her medical degree from Dalhousie University and completed her residency in Halifax in 1989. She had the opportunity to stay but instead accepted a locum in Kentville, a decision that would shape the rest of her career.

“I was blown away when I started in the Valley,” she says. “Being in a small area, we saw all kinds of different patients, which provided me with experiences I never would have had in Halifax. I decided to stay, with a five-year plan to gain experience and then move on.”

As it turned out, five years became nearly four decades.

“The Valley is a wonderful place to live and work,” Lynne says. “I ended up staying and have no regrets. Smaller environments are more nimble and changes are easier to implement. It is easier to turn around a rowboat than to turn around a cruise ship.”

A natural leader and problem solver, Lynne thrives on tackling clinical and system challenges. Working in a smaller setting never limited her impact. Over the years, she contributed locally, provincially and nationally, at one point serving on 37 committees while maintaining a full-time clinical practice.

“I was horribly busy and very happy,” she says.

In 2008, Lynne became vice-president of medicine at Annapolis Valley Health, beginning a seven-year chapter dedicated to strengthening health care in the Valley. Recognizing that many family physicians were nearing retirement, she helped develop a strategy to recruit and retain doctors in the region.

“I visited every single family practice clinic,” she says. “I listened and learned. With their support, we established the first family practice residency outside of Halifax and Cape Breton in 2011. It is one of the best things I ever did. Even now, family practice residents who complete their residency here often choose to stay.”

Her desire to improve healthcare on a broader scale led her to accept the role of vice president of medicine and integrated health services for the newly formed Nova Scotia Health Authority in 2015. She served in the position for three years, describing the experience as “building the plane while flying it.”

After her term ended, Lynne happily returned to full-time clinical practice at Valley Regional Hospital while continuing to lend her expertise through committee work and leadership initiatives.

Dr. Nicole Boutilier, president and CEO of Nova Scotia Health, says Lynne’s contributions have left a lasting mark on the province’s health system and will continue to be felt for years to come.

“While Dr. Harrigan has provided exceptional clinical care for nearly 40 years, her influence extends far beyond her own practice,” says Boutilier. “Her impact is evident every day in the medical leaders she has mentored across the province, including myself. As Nova Scotia Health’s inaugural vice-president of medicine, she helped lay the foundation for physician leadership and medical affairs that continues to guide our organization today.”

In 2019, Lynne joined Cancer Care as a general practice oncologist (GPO), helping expand access to cancer care closer to home for patients while strengthening the community oncology model. Drawing on decades of experience and strong relationships across the health system, she helped guide the work from vision to reality.

Dr. Bruce Colwell, senior medical director of the Cancer Care program, says Lynne has a unique way of leading by example. “There was a time when it was difficult to attract physicians to the GPO role,” he says. “Once Lynne joined the team, that began to change. She helped build a strong, successful community oncology program at Valley Regional, and word quickly spread about how rewarding it was to serve patients in their home community.”

Seven years later, community oncology is a success story. Valley Regional Hospital has a thriving community oncology practice, and provincially, 97 per cent of patients who require chemotherapy or immunotherapy routinely receive treatment at one of eight community oncology clinics across Nova Scotia.

Lynne describes her role as a general practice oncologist as the “perfect job” and a fitting way to close this chapter of her career.

“We have been able to accomplish so much here,” she says. “It really is my favourite job. I am thrilled to come to work each day. We have a fantastic team and wonderful patients. We are very much a family.”

She laughs as she recalls the arrival of her best buddy, Sullivan, a mini sheepadoodle, and the puppy shower her colleagues held to welcome him. Moments like that, she says, reflect the close-knit team she has been fortunate to work alongside.

As Lynne prepares to retire on Nov. 15, she is proud of the advances she and her colleagues have helped achieve and remains passionate about improving healthcare.

“My best advice is to listen to the people on the front line,” she says. “They know better than anyone what is working and what needs more focus.”

While she will miss her team and patients, Lynne is looking forward to more time for travelling, cooking, having fun with Sullivan and spending full summers at her cottage.

Congratulations Lynne and thank you for 37 years of service to Nova Scotians.

Photos of Dr. Lynne Harrigan.