NSHA AGM focuses on power of partnerships to ensure healthy people, communities for generations

Thursday, July 6, 2017 - 09:50AM
Janet and Steve
HALIFAX, N.S. – Nova Scotia Health Authority’s vision is the very same as those we serve: healthy people and healthy communities in our province for many generations to come.
NSHA can’t accomplish this alone. We need to work closely with governments, academic institutions, businesses, community groups, community health boards, foundations, auxiliaries and you – Nova Scotians who rely on our health care system – to make our province as healthy as possible long into the future.
That’s why the theme of NSHA’s second annual general meeting, which took place this morning, Thursday, July 6, at Pier 21, was Healthier Together: The Power of Partnerships. View AGM recording.
“All Nova Scotians want a health system that works – one that helps Nova Scotians be healthy and stay healthy,” NSHA president and CEO Janet Knox said. “We can only achieve that by working together. That is the power of partnerships.”
“We are planning provincially and delivering programs and services locally to ensure we meet the needs of the people we serve now and into the future,” Knox added. “This means listening and learning from the people we serve.”
NSHA board chair Steve Parker also addressed the meeting, noting that our national health system was designed decades ago when Canada and Canadians were young.
“There are areas that demand new thinking and new solutions,” Parker said. “This effort has begun through dedicated teams of health professionals, with physician co-leadership and supported by research and evidence.”
“NSHA and our partners are stepping forward to facilitate a better system for health care and wellness in this province.”
Minister of Health and Wellness Randy Delorey represented the Nova Scotia Government, while this year’s featured guest speaker was Michael Decter, former deputy health minister of Ontario and founding chair of the Health Council of Canada.

NSHA’s annual report is available for download in PDF form by going to: www.nshealth.ca/AnnualReport2016-17.

Some highlights of 2016-17 include: 

In April 2016, NSHA assumed responsibility for physician recruitment to address what has been an ongoing challenge in both primary care and specialty areas. The organization immediately established recruitment teams in each zone to better match physicians to openings in those areas. We increased national and international recruitment activities and continued to work with partners and communities to create welcoming environments, with team-based practice and mentorship opportunities.

Since NSHA’s formation in April 2015, we have completed thousands more MRIs, reducing wait times by about 12 per cent, and we performed about 1,500 additional hip and knee surgeries, targeting those who have waited the longest.

We have also seen improvements in access to both home care and long-term care and are in the process of expanding our research activity and capacity across the province. NSHA remains focused on building a high-quality health care system that is accessible to everyone in this province and sustainable into the future.

We want Nova Scotians to be healthy and stay healthy, and we want to achieve these shared goals by listening to and learning from one another – and that includes you. By working together, we can build a health care system that delivers the best health and wellness services for all Nova Scotians.

We can be Healthier Together.

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Media Contact:
Kristen Lipscombe
Senior Advisor, Media Relations
Provincial Media Line: 1-844-483-3344
kristen.lipscombe@nshealth.ca
www.nshealth.ca

About Nova Scotia Health Authority
Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) provides health services to Nova Scotians and a wide array of specialized services to Maritimers and Atlantic Canadians. NSHA operates hospitals, health centres and community-based programs across the province. Our team of health professionals includes employees, doctors, researchers, learners and volunteers. We work in partnership with community groups, schools, governments, foundations and auxiliaries and community health boards. Visit nshealth.ca for more.