Spring Doses: COVID-19 Vaccines
Nova Scotia will be offering spring doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for people who are at higher risk for severe illness. More information on vaccine eligibility and timing will be shared when appointment bookings open. At that time, COVID-19 vaccine spring dose eligibility will be shared online at www.nshealth.ca/coronavirusvaccine.
People aged 6 months and older who did not receive a dose this fall or winter can get their COVID-19 vaccine until June 30. Information about appointment bookings can be found at www.nshealth.ca/seasonal-vaccines.
Reminder: Measles on the Rise
There continues to be a substantial increase in global measles cases. While the risk of ongoing community transmission remains low in Nova Scotia, Canada anticipates an increase in measles cases and continuous outbreaks, many of which are associated with travel to countries where measles is prevalent.
Dr. Ryan Sommers, Senior Regional Medical Officer of Health and Senior Medical Director Population and Public Health, Nova Scotia Health, sent an MOH Bulletin on February 27, 2025 with guidance for healthcare providers on Measles.
You can read the detailed bulletin here.
Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) – Special Edition Measles Grand Rounds on March 27 at 1:00 PM
CPS is delivering a live webinar on measles prevention and control for healthcare providers. This is part of their National Grand Rounds (NGR) series. The webinar will be open for all healthcare providers and the posting for the webinar can be found on the CPS website.
Register for the webinar here. A recording of the webinar will be made available to all healthcare providers for 1 year.
Elizabeth Fraser: Building a Strong Locum Network for Nova Scotia
Since joining the Physician Recruitment team in 2023, Elizabeth Fraser has been dedicated to strengthening Nova Scotia’s healthcare system. With over a decade of experience at Nova Scotia Health, she understands the importance of reliable physician coverage—especially in times of transition or vacation. That’s why, when the opportunity arose to become the province’s first-ever physician locum recruiter, Elizabeth embraced the challenge wholeheartedly.
“I love this work,” Elizabeth shares. “Connecting physicians with the communities that need them most is incredibly rewarding. It’s about ensuring patients continue to receive excellent care, while also giving physicians the balance they deserve.”
Elizabeth has already connected several clinics with locum support with excellent results.
"I recently used the Nova Scotia Locum support services. I was pleasantly surprised at how efficient and professional the service was. Ms. Fraser had an advertisement and practice description prepared within a couple days. I was able to secure a locum with a local GP whom I had never met and things were seamless in the credentialing and locum payment process. I do not think I would have found a locum otherwise,” said Dr. Steve Gallant, family doctor in Antigonish.
This story is just one of many that highlight the impact of Elizabeth’s work in keeping healthcare services running smoothly.
As summer approaches, Elizabeth has built a strong roster of locum physicians ready to step in and support clinics across the province. Whether it's a rural practice needing short-term coverage or an urban clinic preparing for a wave of summer vacations, Elizabeth is at the center of making these essential connections.
Now is the perfect time to engage Elizabeth in securing a locum physician for your practice. Vacations are essential for maintaining physician well-being, and by ensuring we have great opportunities available for locum providers, we can strengthen retention and encourage them to build lasting ties to Nova Scotia.
If you’re planning time away, reach out to Elizabeth today to ensure your clinic and patients remain well cared for. Let’s work together to keep our healthcare system strong and sustainable!
Questions? Contact Liz at locumsupport@nshealth.ca or complete the locum request form here.
Central Zone Medical Executive Director Update
We wish to share with you that Dr. Christy Bussey will be stepping down as the Central Zone Medical Executive Director (ZMED) with a plan of transitioning back to clinical practice by July 31, 2025.
Since stepping into the ZMED role, Christy has provided tremendous support to the organization; helping establish the department of hospital medicine, and working on various projects and initiatives, most recently the new West Bedford Transitional Health location.
Championing system accountability and dedicated to continued improvement, Christy, with Eileen MacGibbon prioritized co-leadership, helping CZ prioritize our operational excellence goals.
On behalf of the organization, I would like to sincerely thank Dr. Bussey for her leadership and dedication to NSH.
Updated AEFI reporting form
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has released an updated Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI) reporting form and its accompanying User Guide.
The Department of Health and Wellness has revised the "It is the Law: Report Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI)" poster to reflect this update.
Please refer to the updated form for all AEFI investigations.
Empowering Leadership: Leading Through Coaching Workshop at Dartmouth General Hospital
On February 12, 2025, physicians from the Dartmouth General Hospital team, led by Dr. Natalie Cheng (Medical Site Lead, DGH), participated in a full-day "Leading Through Coaching " workshop. The session was facilitated by Medical Affairs, Physician Learning, Development and Support, along with Executive Coaches Lorie Campbell and Verna MacDonald.
The "Leader as Coach" model focuses on equipping leaders with skills to lead in a coaching conversation to empower their teams through SMART goals, problem-solving techniques, powerful questioning, and active listening. A similar workshop is scheduled for the Eastern Zone on May 23, 2025, with additional quarterly sessions planned across all NS Health Zones.
The Medical Affairs’ Physician Learning, Development and Support team offers ongoing supports to NSH Physicians and Physician leaders through strategic engagement, professional development and sustainable work models that underpins and promotes overall wellbeing of Physicians-focusing on continuous learning, resilience, and retention.
Continuing Care Takes Steps to Improve Access to Information for Our Diverse Community
Nova Scotia Health Continuing Care is excited to share we have taken steps to improve access to information about our programs and services for people in our diverse community.
In collaboration with our partners in Language Services, the following resources are now available in Arabic in addition to English and French:
- Continuing Care Programs and Services Brochure - Arabic / French / English
- A Guide to Receiving Home Care Services in NS – Arabic / French / English
We are dedicated to empowering individuals and families in our community to understand the support offered through Continuing Care to help people of all ages who need home care, community care services and long-term care. More information about Continuing Care: www.nshealth.ca/continuing-care
Leading the Way - Ep 67 - Interview with Dr. Lisa Calder, Part 2
Dr. Lisa Calder returns for Part 2 of the conversation, diving deeper into the critical role of mentorship, sponsorship and coaching in leadership development. Find the episode here.
CSPL podcasts are now available on Apple podcasts.
Read the full newsletter here.
