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Nova Scotia Health - 9th Annual General Meeting & Annual Report

Dear colleagues,

We are happy to share Nova Scotia Health’s 9th Annual Report with you. It was launched today as part of our 9th Annual General Meeting.

Watch: Nova Scotia Health Administrator Janet Davidson's welcome address – Nova Scotia Health 9th Annual General Meeting

Watch: Nova Scotia Health – 9th Annual General Meeting

We’re also pleased to announce that after community consultation, the long-term care community Haliburton Place has been renamed Mayflower Meadows. Thank you to everyone who participated.

Together, we have spent the last year innovating, collaborating, and removing obstacles to foster impactful, measurable improvements in healthcare in our province.

ACCESS TO SURGERY

This year we took an important and overdue step to modernize how patients are referred for surgery, MRIs and ultrasounds. With the launch of eReferrals, Nova Scotia Health created a secure, electronic referral tracking system that helps match patients with the best care option for their needs and preferences – all the while keepings patients and referring providers informed each step of the way. More than 13,000 surgical eReferrals and 8,300 Imaging eReferrals were processed this year.

We also continue to make steady progress in increasing the number of surgeries performed each year, with more than 2,100 additional surgeries completed this year compared to last. While we celebrate these achievements, our teams continue the work to ensure patients get the care they need, sooner.

ACCESS TO CARE

This year, in partnership with the Government of Nova Scotia we launched the YourHealthNS app, an easy to navigate resource for what can be a tricky to navigate system. YourHealthNS connects Nova Scotians to the care services they need when they need them. By putting all the tools a patient needs for health information, appointment bookings, and health records in this innovative health app, those in need of healthcare services have the convenience of a one-stop-shop for healthcare information and resources at their fingertips, 24/7.

One year into its launch, there have been over 400,000 downloads.

Through Community Pharmacy Primary Care Clinics, Pharmacy Walk-in Clinics Plus, Mobile Primary Care Clinics, and Urgent Treatment Centres – in combination with VirtualCareNS and Primary Care Clinics, more than 840,000 care appointments were added to the system this past year – that’s an additional 70,000 appointments each month.

INFRASTRUCTURE AND INNOVATON

An important caveat to reimaging our healthcare system, is creating new spaces that foster collaborative practices and attract and keep talent. This year, the Cape Breton Regional Municipality’s healthcare redevelopment project continued full steam ahead with construction of projects underway in Sydney at Cape Breton Regional Hospital, on the Northside and in New Waterford.

In addition, the Bayers Lake Community Outpatient Centre opened in November and has already seen 50,000 patient visits, abbreviating the previously necessary commute to downtown Halifax. Finally, we broke ground for much needed expansion of the QEII Halifax Infirmary.

In addition, through an innovative partnership with Shannex, we announced the construction of the first transitional care centre in Nova Scotia. By partnering with Shannex, not only will the project be finished sooner, but it will also include the addition of 110 new patient beds. Through the transitional care centre, we are creating a better environment for seniors and other individuals to receive the right level of care they need – outside of an acute care setting – and improving patient flow from emergency departments to admission.

IMPROVING HEALTH, TOGETHER

Nova Scotia Health is a community of over 40,000 individuals, encompassing employees, doctors, volunteers, researchers, and learners, all united in their dedication to meeting the healthcare needs, and improving care and overall health of Nova Scotians. Each day, the Nova Scotia Health team goes above and beyond to ensure patients receive the care they deserve, and we are incredibly grateful for your unparalleled dedication and hard work.

We also would like to express our gratitude to our many partners; the Department of Health and Wellness, IWK Health, Emergency Health Services (EHS), healthcare foundations, auxiliaries, community health boards, patient and family advisors, universities, and colleges. Your invaluable contributions, collaborative spirit, innovative approaches, and dedication to healthy communities have played a vital role in enhancing care across our province. Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Janet Davidson, Administrator, Nova Scotia Health

Karen Oldfield, President, and CEO (interim), Nova Scotia Health

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