Operational Excellence Day at The Hub Included Special Visit from Former Federal Health Minister, Dr. Jane Philpott
Spirits were high on Tuesday with a special half day presentation focused on Operational Excellence. Senior Leaders were treated to two presentations from the Quality Summit projects and EXTRA Fellowships in each zone. These presentations were examples of best-in-class work taking place across the province to respond innovatively to the many challenges in care delivery by thinking and doing differently and evaluating the success. Many great ideas were exchanged, and we would like to thank all who participated and shared their projects.
That afternoon, attendees were treated to a talk and special book signing from former federal Health Minister, Dr. Jane Philpott. In April Dr. Philpott released Health for All: A Doctor's Prescription for a Healthier Canada. She spoke about her book, healthcare issues and efforts underway across Canada to solve the complex problem of primary care and attachment.
Dr. Philpott has been very complimentary to Nova Scotia's efforts to transform primary health care and our vision towards health homes and health neighbourhoods. She believes we are leading the country with our approach to and we need to stay focused on our aggressive goals to demonstrate that it can be done. She made a powerful analogy that Canadians expect that when their communities grow and expand, there is a guaranteed seat for every child available in a public-school classroom and they begin to plan immediately for this. The assumption with this is that teachers maintain their class ratios and are not asked to take on additional hundreds of students to accommodate the growth. Canadians expect and deserve the same priority focus on primary healthcare and we need to immediately do better as a country to ensure access for all.
Confirmed case of pertussis in Northern/Central Zone
Public Health is investigating a confirmed case of pertussis (whooping cough) in an individual in Northern Zone who attended school in Central Zone during their infectious period. We have notified the school community of the potential exposure. All close contacts have been identified.
Given the diagnosis and potential for transmission above, as well as ongoing reports of increased case activity in various parts of Canada and internationally, healthcare providers may receive an increase in questions or visits to clinics and emergency departments relating to pertussis. Please keep pertussis on your differential when seeing patients with cough from this area.
Read the full memo from Public Health here.
2024 Nova Scotia Health Pulse Survey Update - A Message from the CEO
Thank you for taking the time to share your workplace experiences with us through the 2024 Nova Scotia Health Pulse Survey.
Over 20 per cent of the organization responded, providing us with snapshot of how many of you feel about your work, your teams, and our organization. In fact, 62 per cent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that Nova Scotia Health is a good place to work, which is an improvement from the 2019 score. I’m pleased to see this marker moving in the right direction. Other highlights include 89 per cent of respondents agreed/strongly agreed that the work they do is meaningful, and 88 per cent enjoy their colleagues.
One of the lower scored areas was regarding recognition; only 50 per cent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they had been recently acknowledged or commended at work. NS Health is committed to creating more ways for you to feel seen and to grow with us. Currently, through the Unsung Heroes and Making Waves programs, you can nominate individuals or teams who positively contribute to Nova Scotia Health, not just for excellent patient care, but for also being exceptional colleagues and teammates. We are also working closely with leaders to make sure they have the tools they need - formally and informally - to meaningfully recognize team members and provide effective feedback.
To learn more, check out the Pulse Survey 2024 Overview for an overview of results. For future surveys and feedback opportunities, we will look for ways to help increase engagement and participation to ensure we continue to hear and learn more.
By sharing your experiences and thoughtful feedback, we’re working together with you to make our organization a choice healthcare employer. I encourage you to continue to have ongoing conversations with your teams and managers about how to continue to make Nova Scotia Health a great place to work.
Important Information for Physicians Regarding Update from Password to Passphrase
Earlier this week we sent out an urgent reminder that Nova Scotia Health would be changing from a regularly updated password to a one-time permanent passphrase. This was an urgent request from our Cyber Security Team to better guard sensitive patient information and protect our IT systems.
This update is only for users who have Nova Scotia Health logins or those who access Nova Scotia Clinical Applications using Active Directory. To allow for more time, the deadline has been extended to Thursday July 25. If you are away during this time, you will just be prompted to change your password on your return.
What is changing?
- Everyone must change their password to a passphrase by Thursday, July 25. A passphrase is an easy-to-remember, secret phrase that is at least 10 characters. Think of a phrase that is meaningful to you and doesn’t contain personal information. For example, use the first letter of each word in the phrase: My favourite memory of Dad is of listening to him recite poetry = MfmoDiolthrp. MfmoDiolthrp becomes your new passphrase.
- Passphrases must have a minimum of 10 characters. For those who access clinical application systems like the Drug Information System, you must ensure that you only use LETTERS and NUMBERS. No special characters are accepted by these systems.
- Your new passphrase will never expire.
Instructions to change your Password
- Log in to your Nova Scotia Health account with your current username and password
- Select Ctrl + Alt + Delete or on Mac you Select Ctrl + Option + Fn + Delete
- Select the ‘Change a password’ option
- Replace your existing password with your new strong passphrase.
VDI and Remote Desktop users:
1. Use the update password service: https://passwordupdate.nshealth.ca
2. Replace your existing password with your new strong passphrase.
How do I change my password if I am currently travelling outside of Nova Scotia?
If you are within Canada, US, or the UK and using a corporate device, then use Ctrl + Alt + Del to change your password to a new strong passphrase. (If you have an approved International Travel Request)
From outside Canada, US, or UK and on any device, use https://mysignins.microsoft.com/security-info/password/change to change your password to a new strong passphrase.
What will happen if I do not change my password or if I am away on Thursday, July 25?
Anyone that has not changed their password by approximately 11 a.m. on Thursday, July 25 will be prompted for a password change the next time they log in.
If you have questions, or need support with finding your username or password, contact the IT Service Desk in person at your local facility (if they have an office on site) or by calling 902-473-3399.
If you need more detailed help with this or other IT issues, email leigh.smith@nshealth.ca.
eReferrals Surpass 70,000!
We have now surpassed 70,000 eReferrals, including more than 44,000 surgical referrals and 28,000 MRI and ultrasound referrals.
Patient email addresses and eReferrals
Referring providers, and patients who have provided an email with their referral, now have more visibility into the status of their referrals. For example, our surgical eReferral data shows:
- 75% were accepted by a surgeons’ office within the targets (3 days for urgent/semi-urgent and 14 days for routine).
- 44% had an anticipated wait time added within 14 days.
- 44% of patients referred in our eReferral tool have received email notifications regarding their referral status.
A reminder to eReferral users that automatic eReferral notifications provide reassurance to patients, by keeping them in the loop, and can also help to cut back on calls to your offices.
Referring providers - please speak to your patients about the benefits of including an email with their eReferral.
Surgeon offices – please remember to add details such as anticipated wait times and appointments within the eReferrals tools, to help keep patients up to speed (Five key steps for each eReferral).
Referring patients outside their community
A key benefit expected with eReferrals is the ability to connect patients with options that best fit their needs and wishes. This might include seeing a specialist outside their community or zone of residence. As more and more referrals are sent and managed in the eReferrals tool, and progress is made clearing existing consult wait lists, we will continue to gain better information to help direct patients to the fastest and best options for them.
To support these ongoing efforts, referrers are asked to discuss options with patients and make note of their preferences on their eReferrals. It is important to inform patients that if they are referred to a surgeon outside of their community or zone, they could need to travel for their consult appointment and surgery, as well as any other care they need before and after surgery (i.e., pre-op clinics, other testing).
You can learn more about the flow of surgical eReferrals here.
Seeking to Expand Physician and Primary Care Participation in the Fall Vaccine Program
In the upcoming fall immunization season, the administration of COVID-19 vaccines will expand to include delivery through physician and primary care offices.
Public Health’s Provincial BioDepot and the Department of Health and Wellness have launched a survey to help set the stage for a successful fall program. Physicians and primary care providers are asked to complete the survey to indicate your willingness to participate and provide necessary information to support the planning and implementation of the program.
To allow us time to use this data for allocations and planning, we ask that you please complete this survey before August 31st.
The survey can be completed online at: http://surveys.novascotia.ca/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=m6LH8ml4J
If you have any questions, please contact the Provincial BioDepot at PublicHealthVaccineOrders@nshealth.ca.
Half a Century of Rural Family Medicine Dr. Chris Elliott
With more than 50 years of rural family medicine under his belt, Dr. Chris Elliott, semi-retired since 2019, has recently passed on the mantle of medical site lead at Aberdeen Hospital, a position he held since 2019. This July, also retired from the Aberdeen Walk-In Clinic.
Born in Vancouver, after several moves due to his father’s career, Dr. Elliott eventually landed in Pictou at the age of 10. He attended St. Francis Xavier University and completed medical school and a one-year family medicine residency at Dalhousie University in 1974. His 45-year, full-time career in family medicine began in 1974 with his own private practice in New Glasgow. Over the decades, Dr. Elliott took on various roles at Aberdeen Hospital including working in emergency medicine, leading the emergency department, and serving as Chief of Staff and was the long-term care lead for the former Pictou County Health Authority. As a generalist, for years he was able to perform a variety of procedures, from obstetrics to minor surgeries.
As he reflects on his long career, Dr. Elliott is happy to share memories, both professional and personal, as well as insights regarding the changes in family medicine and rural healthcare he witnessed over the years.
One of the most rewarding roles in Dr. Elliott's early career was delivering babies. "It’s pure joy”, he recalls with evident pride and pleasure. “That thrill of following somebody through their pregnancy to delivery and afterward is like nothing else.”
When asked about the most significant changes he's seen, Dr. Elliott notes the decrease in number of family doctors, increase in medical specialization and expansion of primary care teams to include other health professionals such as nurse practitioners, pharmacists and social workers. "Today, people are a lot smarter about maintaining a better work life balance,” he remarks. Although, when looking back, Dr. Elliott sees clearly how he and his colleagues overworked for years, carrying an unhealthy load of stress day in and day out. He credits his never-diminishing passion for hunting, fishing and--in the earlier years--hockey, for helping him avoid burnout.
Advising new doctors, Dr. Elliott emphasizes the importance of listening to patients and communicating effectively. "You've got to be able to explain things to people at their level,” he says with conviction. “When you talk over people, you're not doing them any good." He also encourages involvement in the local community as an important vehicle for physicians and their families to get to know and become known by others through volunteerism and participation in other community-based activities which appeal to their particular interests and talents.
Until he fully retires at an undetermined future date, Dr. Elliott plans to continue working four mornings a week as medical director at two long-term care facilities and two residential care facilities in Pictou County.
In the meantime, semi-retirement affords him more frequent outings with Sharon, his wife of 51 years. As a family, the Elliott’s made many memorable trips over the years with their two daughters, Angela, and Shawna, who is a health services manager at the Aberdeen Hospital.
Dr. Elliott also finds time to go fishing with his grandson, read murder mystery novels and solve sudoku puzzles” to keep my brain active.” Once fully retired, he plans to take up something he briefly pursued forty years ago – guitar lessons!
Dr. Elliott has created a distinctive legacy of compassionate care and wisdom to guide future generations of family doctors. We will miss is service, but we celebrate his contribution and well-deserved retirement.
Central Zone Operating Room Optimization Initiative
A new resource page has been created to provide easy access to information and updates related to the Central Zone Operating Room Optimization Initiative.
It includes background information on these efforts, communications on various initiatives, standard operating procedures and more.
Countdown to Entrance and Parking Changes at the QEII Halifax Infirmary
This summer, changes are coming to the QEII Halifax Infirmary to support More, Faster: The Action for Health Build. These changes are essential to prepare for the construction of the new acute care tower, which will feature 216 beds, 16 operating rooms, an intensive care unit, and a new, larger emergency department.
Main Entrance Change:
Starting August 26, access to the HI via the Robie St. Main Entrance and Robie St. Staff Entrance will close. The Summer St. Entrance will be the new main entrance for those entering the HI. The Summer St. Lobby will house central registration, self-registration kiosks, and the Shopper's Drug Mart currently on HI4.
Staff are encouraged to use entrances at Abbie J. Lane, Veterans Memorial Building, and near the Summer St. ambulance ramp during peak hours due to expected increased volume. Remember to bring your badges for Staff Entrances.
Staff and Physician Parking and Transportation Changes:
For staff and physicians who park at the QEII, including those who currently hold monthly parking passes, Nova Scotia Health has developed a new plan for parking and transportation to the QEII sites. The details of this plan are within the OPT Program in partnership with Partners for Care. For more information on parking and the OPT Program Options for Parking and Transportation Program - Home (nshealth.ca)