The Palliative Care Network has a provincial scope and mandate to design and recommend strategy and improvement plans that drive the achievement of targeted, measurable, and sustainable clinical and operational improvements in the palliative care system.
The Network consists of a Core Network team who lead strategically oriented network projects and initiatives in collaboration with system partners including zone operational leaders, clinicians, and patient and family advisors, Interprofessional Practice and Learning, Performance and Analytics, Quality, and Communications. Key workstreams include specialist palliative care service delivery, a palliative approach to care, health care provider and volunteer practice support and capacity building, grief, policy and standards, and quality and innovation.
The Full Network (Network Council) is a broader group of health system leaders, clinicians, and interest holders who meet several times per year to provide their local perspectives, expertise and lived experience to the planning, evaluation and implementation efforts. This group focuses on system and population-level issues common to palliative care and informs the work of the Network within the context of established priorities for the organization.
Palliative Care Network Strategic Priorities 2023-2029
Aim:
Nova Scotians of all ages with a life limiting illness, including the people who support them, are supported to live well, die well, and grieve well.
1. Providing Quality Palliative Care:
Palliative care is integrated and accessible to patients with a life limiting illness. That is, care is timely, equitable, appropriate, coordinated, and embedded early in the illness trajectory across care settings. It involves collaboration between interdisciplinary teams, enhancing availability of a palliative approach to care as well as specialist palliative care, and coordination of care.
2. Supporting Individualized, Needs-Based Care:
Patients, chosen families, and caregivers are supported to actively participate in their care based on their own values, preferences, expressed needs and goals. It emphasizes providing knowledge, support for managing illness, and grief services.
3. Building Provider and Volunteer Capacity:
Ensures health care providers and volunteers have the knowledge, skills, and supports to deliver high-quality palliative care through training, education, and wellness programs.
4. Strengthening the Palliative Care Enablers:
Enablers are in place to support the provision of standardized high-quality palliative care. It involves establishing performance indicators, improving quality through continuous improvement, developing supportive policies, and integrating research into practice.
Core Principles:
- Person-centered care
- Integrated, coordinated systems
- Evidence-driven approaches
- Open communication and collaboration
- Equity and inclusivity
- Sustainability of practice
For more information on the work of the Network, view key documents below and in the Helpful Links tab.
