News release

Province Announces New ER Advisor

Health (to Jan. 2011)

The province is taking an important step to keep its commitments on emergency rooms and reducing ER wait times with the appointment of Dr. John Ross as Nova Scotia's first provincial advisor on emergency patient care.

The provincial advisor will provide leadership to improve access to emergency care in Nova Scotia.

"We promised Nova Scotians that over the next four years we would work to keep ER rooms open across this province," said Premier Darrell Dexter. "The appointment of Dr. Ross is the first step of many to ensure Nova Scotians have the health care they need."

The provincial advisor will work with district health authorities, doctors and other health-care providers to ensure that emergency departments deliver the kind of health care that Nova Scotians need.

This will include advising government on commitments such as opening beds needed to admit patients now stuck in emergency departments. As well, Dr. Ross will advise on creating an Emergency Department Protection Fund to hire doctors and keep emergency rooms running.

"Emergency room coverage is a longstanding problem that cannot be fixed overnight," said Maureen MacDonald, Minister of Health. "Dr. Ross's appointment shows Nova Scotians that this is a priority. We will be looking for his advice and input on the implementation of improvements."

Dr. Ross, an emergency medicine specialist, received his medical training at Queen's University and the University of Western Ontario.

He has practiced emergency medicine at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre since 1990. He is the former Chief of the QEII Department of Emergency Medicine, and the Capital District Health Authority as well as the former head of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Dalhousie University.

"This is a unique opportunity to help improve emergency care throughout the province," said Dr. Ross. "Nova Scotians want timely access to emergency care and my role is to bring forward recommendations to help ensure that."

The position is part-time with a one-year contract that is renewable annually.