Government of Nova Scotia gov.ns.ca
gov.ns.ca Government of Nova Scotia Nova Scotia, Canada
 
Department of Health

Department of Health

The Nova Scotia Department of Health, the district health authorities and the IWK have a shared mission to work together to empower individuals, families, partners, and communities to promote, improve and maintain the health of Nova Scotians through a proactive and sustainable health care system.

The Department of Health sets strategic direction for the health system through:

  • Direction and support of health transformation initiatives
  • Funding to district health authorities and provincial programs, including ground and air ambulance programs
  • Development and support of provincial programs and initiatives
  • Administration of continuing care services, the Senior’s Pharmacare Program and the Family Pharmacare Program
  • Policy, legislation and standards

Nova Scotia's health services are delivered by nine district health authorities and the IWK. These health authorities deliver health care services to residents and are responsible for all hospitals, community health services, mental health services and public health programs in their districts.

Featured Story

Minister sends kudos to health-care workers

 

Minister sends kudos to health-care workers - Health-care workers from across Nova Scotia have been working together to implement new technology will improve efficiency of scheduling surgery

Health Minister Maureen MacDonald recently congratulated a group of 25 health-care workers for their dedication to improving patient care.

The Operating Room Management staff of the Provincial Surgery Project came from every District Health Authority in the province. They are staff from staff from surgical services programs, who had been taking time out of their busy schedules to help implement the use of an Operating Room Information System that will help reduce wait times for surgeries in Nova Scotia .

The staff were thanked at a lunch in Halifax recently and the Minister provided a small token of her appreciation and gave them a card that said: "Thanks for going above and beyond!" The minister wrote a congratulatory note on each card and signed them.

In the first week of November, the Pictou County Health Authority will be the first DHA to use the software that will make scheduling surgery and managing daily operating room schedules much more efficient for DHA staff.

Remaining DHAs that do not have an Operating Room Information System will begin using the software this winter or next spring. By July of next year, every hospital in Nova Scotia where surgery is performed will be using an automated Operating Room Information System.

 

News Releases

Résumé de la situation par rapport au H1N1, du 8 au 14 novembre
La grippe H1N1 continue de se répandre à l'échelle de la province. Depuis le début de la saison de la grippe 2009-2010, qui s'étend de septembre 2009 à septembre 2010, la province rapporte : -- 634 cas confirmés de H1N1 -- 158 hospitalisations pour le H1N1 -- deux décès liés au H1N1 - 2009/11/18 - 14:16
H1N1 Summary, Nov. 8 to Nov. 14
Nova Scotia continues to experience H1N1 activity across the province. Since the beginning of the 2009-10 influenza season, which runs from September 2009 to September 2010, the province has had: -- 634 lab-confirmed H1N1 cases -- 158 hospitalizations for H1N1 -- two H1N1-related deaths - 2009/11/18 - 14:14
Les ambulanciers paramédicaux néo-écossais ont maintenant accès aux dossiers des patients dans l'ambulance
Le premier système au Canada qui donne aux ambulanciers paramédicaux un accès instantané aux dossiers de santé MedicAlert a été lancé avec succès en Nouvelle-Écosse. Dans un délai de quelques heures après la mise en ligne du système, un ambulancier paramédical d'Halifax a pu accéder à des renseignements qui ont potentiellement sauvé la vie du patient qu'il transportait à l'hôpital. - 2009/11/18 - 10:40
Nova Scotia Paramedics Gain In-ambulance Access to Patient Records
NOTE: A social media version of this release with hi-res downloadable photographs, video and audio clips, will be available later today, Nov. 18, at www.gov.ns.ca/news/smr/2009-11-18-patient-records.asp . The first system in Canada to provide paramedics with instant access to MedicAlert health records has been successfully launched in Nova Scotia. Within hours of the system going live, a paramedic in Halifax accessed potentially life-saving information en route to the hospital with a patient. - 2009/11/18 - 10:35
Personal Health Information Legislation Introduced
Nova Scotian's personal health information would be better managed under proposed legislation introduced today, Nov. 4. - 2009/11/04 - 14:46