Nova Scotia Health Celebrates National Recognition for Excellence in Patient Care

Nova Scotia Health is proud to announce that two of our healthcare initiatives are  being recognized with national honours through the Canadian College of Health Leaders (CCHL) Awards Program, which celebrates excellence, leadership and impact across Canada’s healthcare system.

Excellence in Patient Experience Award: STI Care Now – ERIN Network

Nova Scotia Health is receiving the Excellence in Patient Experience Award for its STI Care Now program, led by the Emerging and Re-emerging Infections Network (ERIN).
With sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBIs) continuing to rise across Canada, STI Care Now was designed to remove barriers to testing and care while improving access, privacy and patient autonomy. 

Through a series of patient-centred innovations, STI Care Now has transformed how individuals access care:

•    Self-referral and self-testing: Patients can request testing kits independently through a secure online platform—no physician referral required—enhancing privacy and reducing stigma.
•    Flexible hybrid access: Kits can be delivered to homes or picked up at community locations, with multiple return options including mail and specimen collection sites across the province.
•    Integrated virtual care: Patients receive results, treatment, and services such as HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) through virtual consultations, supported by the STI Care Now pharmacy team and patient navigator. 

The program has delivered significant provincial impact to date, with 8,469 kits requested by 6,250 patients, resulting in 4,971 results, 348 infections identified and treated and 382+ HIV PrEP consultations (July 2024–April 2026). Additionally, the STI Care Now participant feedback questionnaire has a 55 per cent response rate, with 97 per cent of respondents indicating they would recommend STI Care Now to a friend. Twenty-four per cent of service users would not have been tested without the program, and respondents indicate a high degree of satisfaction, including ease of use and convenience.

By combining accessibility, flexibility, and compassionate care, STI Care Now is improving the healthcare experience for populations disproportionately affected by STIs and reducing social, geographic and economic barriers.

Excellence in Patient Safety Award: Emergency Department Sepsis Improvement Package - Sepsis Action Improvement Team (AIT)  

Nova Scotia Health has also been awarded the Excellence in Patient Safety Award for the work of its Sepsis Action Improvement Team (AIT) and Emergency Department Sepsis Improvement Package. 

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that can rapidly lead to shock, organ failure and death. Prior to this initiative, Nova Scotia faced significant challenges, including one of the highest in-hospital sepsis rates in Canada.

Recognizing the urgency, Nova Scotia Health established the Sepsis AIT to transform how sepsis is identified and treated across the province. The team introduced practical, evidence-based changes such as sepsis kits, trained “sepsis champions”, and implemented a care directive that enables nurses and paramedics to administer life-saving antibiotics as quickly as possible to patients showing signs of sepsis.

Early phase testing throughout 2024 and 2025 demonstrated significant improvement in Central Zone, with patients receiving antibiotics within three hours increasing from 55 per cent to 83 per cent. Based on these results, the ED Sepsis Improvement Package was launched provincially in September 2025. A provincial audit and performance scorecard now supports Nova Scotia Health teams in sustaining reduction in sepsis-related mortality and consistency in how we measure and monitor performance over time. Consistent and comparable data is available at the unit/department, site, zone and provincial level and is reviewed as a driver during performance review meetings and improvement huddles. This approach reflects the Operational Excellence strategy promoting continuous improvement, data-driven decisions, and accountability.

A Commitment to Better Care

These two awards reflect some of the incredible work happening across Nova Scotia Health every day. Behind each initiative are teams of people who care deeply about improving outcomes and making the healthcare experience better for patients and families.
Whether it’s helping someone access STI testing in a way that feels safe and stigma-free, or ensuring faster, life-saving treatment for sepsis in emergency departments, this work is making a real difference across our province.

We’re proud of the ERIN Network and the Sepsis Action Improvement Team—not just for these achievements, but for the compassion and commitment they bring to their work every day.

Congratulations to both teams on this well-deserved recognition and thank you for the meaningful impact you continue to make for Nova Scotians.

Photo of (L-R) Terri-Anne McGregor, registered nurse at Twin Oaks Memorial Hospital, and Kayla Dort, registered nurse at Cobequid Community Health Centre with (below) team members of the STI Care Now program.