The restructure process started more than a year ago when the executive level of our organization was reorganized with the lens of further strengthening the organization’s governance and operational oversight.
The executive restructure was intended to respond to concerns about the need to improve accountability and responsibility across and throughout the organization including to:
· support local autonomy and decision making,
· better align resources to zone operations, and
· create a structure that supports local connections with community partners and local teams.
Over the last year and following organizational surveys, research around other jurisdictional models and valuable sessions with an internal advisory team who helped provide insights into this process we have finalized the structure of Nova Scotia Health. Through this work it has certainly been clear that all of the established provincial programs provided not only a strong foundation for Nova Scotia Health to build upon but quality, safe service to Nova Scotians. I would like to thank all of those involved for their leadership and work over the last five years and personally acknowledge those who are disrupted by these changes.
Moving forward, six provincial programs will continue to be supported by the current senior directors and senior medical directors but will now report into zone vice presidents.
The provincial programs that will remain are:
· Mental Health and Addictions
· Public Health
· Continuing Care
· Renal
· Cancer Care
· Trauma
We have seen how networks are benefitting Nova Scotia Health and Nova Scotians by bringing together people who are accountable, passionate and knowledgeable about specific areas of health. They work together to set the strategy, plan, enable and support the implementation and evaluation of a care delivery system while focusing on health promotion, prevention and care/treatment. A really great example of this is the COVID network made up of a multidisciplinary team with a provincial scope and mandate tackling concerns as they emerge around things like PPE, IPAC or visitor restrictions to name a few.
Nova Scotia Health will transition to the following networks by April 1:
Population Based Networks
· Primary Health Care and Chronic Disease Management / Disease Prevention and Management
· Elder and Frailty
· Seniors Health
· Frailty Strategy, Dementia Strategy
· Complex patients
Service Based Networks
· Perioperative (continuation of transition)
· Episodic / Integrated Acute Care:
· Emergency medicine, acute medicine, critical care, women and children
· Quaternary/Specialty services
· Pain Management, Ambulatory care
· Access and Flow
· Diagnostic and Therapeutic Services:
· DI, Lab, Pharmacy
· COVID Response (based on current need)
In addition we will be creating a network that is foundational for Nova Scotia Health as we move forward around diversity, inclusion and equity. Through this network we will work with community partners by creating a joint table to make evidence-based decisions to tackle problems and be action-focused.
With these networks being established the following programs will move their accountability and reporting to the zones and will no longer function as a provincial program:
· Perioperative (complete)
· Critical Care
· Emergency Program
· Diagnostic Imaging
· Pathology/Laboratory Services
· Pharmacy
· Primary Health Care and Chronic Disease Management
· Women and Children’s Health
The role of zone executive directors will shift to executive directors of health services and their accountabilities will include regional sites and some zone operational programs. In the coming days we will be posting two executive director of health services roles in central and northern zones. In addition we will be recruiting for directors of networks and will focus on filling roles through displaced individuals first.
While organizational change means difficult decisions must be made I am optimistic we will be able to better meet the needs of the people we serve. I believe through this change we are creating a stronger organization with greater capabilities and opportunities for operational effectiveness, communications and decision-making at the local level. Nova Scotia Health is a dynamic organization full of outstanding individuals doing great work every day – thank you.
We value our partnerships with continuing care providers and we will continue to inform you as our transition is completed.
Dr. Brendan Carr
