YourHealthNS app a “lifeline” for retired Beford police officer

Alex Steeves says the YourHealthNS app helped him stay focused on his health at a time when he was between primary care providers.

Steeves said the YourHealthNS app became essential for managing appointments, accessing test results and navigating a series of heart‑related health issues. “The app came in very, very handy once I started using it. I’m ‘technically challenged’,” he said, with a laugh, “but it really worked for me.”

Steeves, a retired police officer, and his wife, Shirley, who enjoyed a long secretarial career in the education system, have a doctor but he said the app filled a critical gap for them when they didn’t. “I think others would benefit greatly if they learned to use the app,” he said. “It was very helpful during that period.”

Steeves first learned about the app from his daughter and she showed him how to set it up, and he quickly began relying on it. The Steeves’s have two children, five grandchildren and a four‑month‑old great‑granddaughter.

The feature he uses most is the appointment‑booking system. He said it saved him hours of waiting for vaccinations or blood work. “You go online, make the appointment, everything’s planned out,” he said. “You show up and you don’t wait long. Everything runs very efficiently.”

He also used the app to book appointments for his wife. “We got every shot,” he said. “You had to search a little bit to get an opening, but the app made it possible.”

Another feature Steeves values is access to his medical records. He said being able to review blood work, ultrasounds and other test results gave him a sense of control. “It was an eye‑opener,” he said. “You really felt a part of your medical information. You could go in and see your scores even before the doctor called.”

Steeves has long been monitored for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a hereditary heart condition. Specialists have followed him for more than a decade through regular stress tests, echocardiograms and other monitoring. Once he became aware of the app, he said it made tracking those appointments and results far easier.

More recently, Steeves was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and he recently underwent cardioversion, a procedure that uses controlled electrical pulses to restore normal heart rhythm. He said the YourHealthNS app helped him manage the flurry of tests, blood work and follow‑up appointments leading up to the procedure. He also used the Nova Virtual Assistant in the app to ask questions about medication side effects. “That is valuable too,” he said.

Steeves keeps a list of his medications in the app, though he still carries a printed copy for appointments.  

Overall, Steeves believes the app has made health care more accessible for him and thinks it could do the same for others. “It’s a good program they came up with,” he said. “I don’t know who thought of it, but it was an excellent idea. Nova Scotians should take advantage of the opportunity.” 

Photo of Alex Steeves.