Bulletin

New technology will improve efficiency of scheduling surgery

October 23, 2009

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 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.