Aberdeen Hospital recently teamed up with Summer Street’s self-advocates to deliver a workshop to emergency department staff aimed at improving care for people with diverse abilities. Over three sessions, Summer Street participants shared their firsthand experiences to help staff better understand the challenges faced by patients with disabilities when accessing healthcare. These sessions emphasized not only inclusion but also the power of lived experiences in shaping a more compassionate healthcare system.

One year ago, an innovative healthcare clinic opened its doors in Cape Breton with the mission to meet the primary care needs of newcomers in the region. The Cape Breton Newcomer Primary Care Clinic, a partnership between Nova Scotia Health and Cape Breton University (CBU), is now celebrating its first anniversary, having made a significant difference in the lives of many who have newly arrived in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM).

Nova Scotia Health and IWK recently welcomed 10 new anesthesiologists to enhance patient care in the region. These specialists are essential for ensuring safe surgical experiences, effective pain management, and high-quality critical care, playing a crucial role in our healthcare system. Among the new additions is Dr. Oliver “Ollie” Poole, who specializes in cardiac anesthesia and critical care.

For many Nova Scotians, the time to be discharged from the hospital can feel like a waiting game. Thanks to a collaborative effort between the Care Coordination Centre, known as C3, and diagnostic imaging (DI) at the QEII, requisition workflows are being enhanced to help get patients discharged faster.  

The Transitioning in Practice, Transitioning Out of Practice (TIP-TOP) program, part of Nova Scotia Health’s Action for Health plan, is transforming how family physicians transition their patient care while retiring.

Dr. Michelle Dow, an experienced family physician at the Clare Health Center in Meteghan Centre, and the former MD Recruitment and Retention Lead for the Western Zone, shares how the TIP-TOP program helped her smoothly transition out of practice while ensuring a seamless transfer of care for her patients.

Waiting for emergency care can be daunting, sometimes marked by hours spent in waiting rooms. Patients and their families may experience anxiety as they wait for their turn to see a healthcare provider. Recognizing the need for improvement, Nova Scotia Health has recently introduced a new model of care designed to enhance access and reduce wait times for emergency care.

It was while pursuing a psychology degree at Dalhousie that Morgann Stiles first became aware of occupational therapy.

She was immediately struck by the profession’s broad scope and seemingly limitless opportunities and possibilities.

Having been working in occupational therapy for seven years, that initial impression of the job has proved to be correct for Stiles.

Danny Leblanc, manager of Medical Device Reprocessing (MDR) for the Western Zone (Annapolis Valley, South Shore, and South West), is adding to his career accomplishments and advocacy for the profession, as the incoming president of the Canadian Association for Medical Device Reprocessing (CAMDR), which was celebrated at the association’s annual conference in Calgary, earlier this month.

As of Oct. 4, 2024, there are 145,114, Nova Scotians on the Need a Family Practice Registry. The last published number was June 1, 2024 when there were 160,234 Nova Scotians on the registry.

“Seeing the list drop is an encouraging sign and we will continue to work until every Nova Scotian is attached to a primary care provider,” said Premier Tim Houston.

Looking back over the last few years the list progressed as follows: