Celebrating African Heritage Month 2025 - Legacy in Action: Celebrating Black Brilliance
~ shared on behalf of Anna Marenick, VP of People, Culture & Belonging, and Dr. Annette Elliott Rose, Chief Nurse Executive & Vice President, Clinical Performance & Professional Practice
African Heritage Month, celebrated every February in Nova Scotia, is an opportunity to recognize and honour the lasting contributions, culture, and history of African Nova Scotians. This year's theme, Legacy in Action: Celebrating Black Brilliance, shines a light on the resilience and achievements of African Nova Scotians, who have played a vital role in shaping our province for more than 400 years. February is a time to reflect on the impact Black and African Nova Scotians have had on Nova Scotia, and specifically within our healthcare system.
Nova Scotia Health is dedicated to creating an inclusive, equitable and supportive environment for everyone. That includes recognizing that systemic racism and anti-Black bias still exist in our healthcare system. To address that, we are striving to build a workplace where every patient, family, and team member feels respected, heard, empowered, and valued. These efforts directly align and are imbedded in the five strategic priorities at Nova Scotia Health, with a particular focus on people and culture first, primary healthcare access, and getting the right care, in the right place.
Read the full message here.
The Dr. Maria Angwin Memorial Wyse Road Health Clinic
Nova Scotia Health and IWK Health are thrilled to announce the name of Dartmouth North’s newest health clinic!
The Dr. Maria Angwin Memorial Wyse Road Health Clinic honors Dr. Angwin, the first woman licensed to practice medicine in Nova Scotia, who dedicated her career to women’s health and preventive medicine. The clinic will open in April 2025.
The clinic will connect thousands of Nova Scotians to healthcare services including primary care, gynecology, obstetrics, urology, midwifery, Nova Scotia Brotherhood, Nova Scotia Sisterhood and more. This clinic space includes a Health Home that will connect over 6,400 Nova Scotians in Dartmouth North from the Need a Family Practice Registry to primary care.
Want to learn more about Dr. Maria Angwin’s legacy? She was Nova Scotia’s first female doctor, a trailblazer in medicine, and an advocate for women’s rights. From teaching in Dartmouth to breaking barriers in healthcare, her impact continues to inspire.
Read about her incredible journey here.
New Accredited Programs for Physicians Leaders from Medical Affairs at Nova Scotia Health
Medical Affairs has received CME Accreditation for two Physician leadership development programs:
Medical Affairs Physician Leadership Development Program
- A six-month, coaching focused leadership development program for physicians, led by Medical Affairs Executive Coaches, Lorie Campbell and Verna MacDonald.
- Participants can claim:
- CFPC, MainPro+ Certified Activity credits – up to 17.25 hours
- MainPro+ Certified Assessment credits – up to 3.0 hours
- RCPSC, Group Learning Activity credits – up to 17.25 hours
- RCPSC, Self-Assessment credits – up to 3.0 hours
- Currently, a cohort of 13 physicians is participating in the Central Zone (CZ). This program has previously been delivered in all four zones province-wide, and we look forward to expanding it further under our accredited programming.
Community of Practice: The Doctor’s Lounge
- A monthly webinar series covering timely topics, bringing together physician leaders from various specializations.
- Provides an opportunity for leaders to connect, discuss, and build skills in conflict navigation, mediation, and difficult conversations.
- Participants can claim:
- CFPC, MainPro+ Certified Activity credits – up to 1.0 hour
- RCPSC, Section 1, Accredited Group Learning Activity credits – up to 1.0 hour per seminar
Stay tuned for additional learning and development opportunities in the coming months.
Next Step Toward Publicly Funded, Privately Provided Services for Mental Health, Addictions Care
Nova Scotians with mood and anxiety disorders will have more access to mental healthcare at no cost in the coming months.
The government is building the province’s first mental health and addictions publicly funded insured services program. The first phase will boost access to non-urgent mental healthcare by publicly funding private-sector professionals.
Learn more here.
The Impact of Menopause on a Woman's Heart - Satellite Locations Confirmed
Globally, cardiovascular diseases affect one out of three women, yet women everywhere are under-studied, under-diagnosed, under-treated, and under-aware. Heart disease is largely preventable. There is a lot we can all do to help reduce the risk.
On Feb. 13 from noon to 1p.m., Dr. Sharon Mulvagh will speak about women’s risk factors for heart disease, and Dr. Baharak Amir will talk about the impact of menopause on a woman’s heart. Join the education session in person at the Royal Bank Theatre, level 1, QEII Halifax Infirmary (HI), or join via Teams. Groups will also be gathering remotely at several sites across the province to view the education session:
Central Zone
Bayers Lake Community Outpatient Centre – Room 1352
Cobequid Community Health Centre – Room 3107
Eastern Zone
Cape Breton Regional Hospital – Mental Health Conference Room (2049)
Guysborough Memorial Hospital – Room B34
Inverness Consolidated Memorial Hospital – Boardroom
Northern Zone
Colchester East Hants Health Centre – Willow Room
Bayview Memorial Health Centre – Conference Room 1
Western Zone
Soldiers Memorial Hospital – Founders Room (Level 1, room 1504)
Queens General Hospital – Murray Mosher Meeting Room
Western Kings Memorial Health Centre – Wilson Room
Eastern Kings Memorial Hospital – Dining Room
Roseway Hospital – Classroom 253
The session will also be recorded for those unable to attend in real time.
The HI lobby, first and second floors, will also feature health information booths from 10 a.m. to noon on Feb. 13. Come check out these informative displays!
Inpatient Addiction Medicine Consult Service Wins Quality Award
The Nova Scotia Health Quality Awards are a celebration of the incredible work taking place across the organization in support of quality improvement, patient safety, patient experience and teamwork. We are proud to announce that the Inpatient Addiction Medicine Consult Service recently won the 'Excellence in Mental Health and Quality Improvement' award.
The award honors a hospital, health authority, community program/service that demonstrates evidence-informed and sustained quality improvements in mental health and addictions. This initiative is currently a pilot project at QEII Health Sciences Centre.
Congratulation to the team! Learn more here.
Nova Scotia’s Community Health Boards Launch Provincial Community Health Plan for 2025-2029
Nova Scotia’s 35 Community Health Boards (CHBs) have launched the provincial summary of their Community Health Plans for 2025-2029, aimed at improving health and well-being across the province.
Priorities within the five-year plan were shaped through extensive community engagement conducted between November 2023 and March 2024. Feedback was received through 150 in-person engagement sessions, 1,700 comment cards, and 2,652 responses to an online survey. This feedback from more than 6,700 Nova Scotians, reflecting diverse needs, resulted in the following priorities:
- Access to affordable basics of daily living
- Active living and social connection
- Natural and built environments
- Local access, information, and navigation
- Mental wellness
Learn more here.
Read the full newsletter here.
