It has been one year since the official vendor funding announcement for One Person One Record (OPOR). We are taking this opportunity to reflect on all the work achieved to date and the exciting next steps ahead of us. The OPOR Program brings together IWK Health, Nova Scotia Health, Cyber Security and Digital Solutions, and the Department of Health and Wellness, all working towards improved patient care across the province.
Not only are we already one year into the largest healthcare transformation project in Nova Scotia’s history, but we are now less than one year away from our first “Go-Live” implementation. In February 2025, Dartmouth General Hospital, Cobequid Community Health Centre, and Bayers Lake Community Outpatient Centre will implement the new OPOR Clinical Information System. From there, other sites and zones will begin implementation over a two-year period. A tremendous amount of work has already happened to get us where we are today, and a lot of work remains to ensure this critical transformation is a success. You can visit the OPOR website for more information on the timeline.
Over the past year, teams have been assembled and mobilized. We would like to acknowledge the dedication of the OPOR team members who are working on this innovative program. You may have interacted with some of the OPOR team members (wearing snazzy blue T-shirts) on site visits around the province. Design Workshops continue, where local subject matter experts from across care areas come together to inform the design and functionality of the Clinical Information System. These contributions ensure OPOR will meet the needs of healthcare providers and patients in Nova Scotia.
OPOR will transform all our current paper-based care processes into a modern, digital approach, providing seamless access across the province and between IWK Health and Nova Scotia Health.
A tangible example of this is vital sign documentation. In current state, vitals (like blood pressure or oxygen levels) are charted on paper forms as free-text, flowsheets, or symbols on a diagram. With OPOR, frontline clinical staff will document all vital signs electronically in a standardized format. The patient information can then be trended and tracked in real time and seen by providers working in other care locations across the province, or from home on call. This will support immediate clinical decision making and improved safety and quality of care for our patients.
The first in a series of OPOR change readiness surveys has been launched. We are asking all IWK Health and Nova Scotia Health employees and physicians to participate in the OPOR Awareness Survey to help us determine the current understanding of the program across the systems. The survey was launched on Feb. 12 and will remain open until March 15. Please go to the SURVEY LINK to provide your feedback when you have a moment.
OPOR will have tremendous reach across the healthcare system in Nova Scotia. It will not only transform our work but will serve to support patient care. As part of the province's Action for Health Plan, OPOR will provide more care, faster for Nova Scotians.
We’re excited for what’s to come, and we hope you are, too. Thank you for taking the time to participate in feedback and for all you do each and every day to care for patients and families across the province.
Regards,
Dr. Krista Jangaard Karen Oldfield
President & CEO Interim President & CEO
IWK Health Nova Scotia Health
