If you are having difficulty viewing this email, click to view in your web browser.

In this update:

View previous updates

• Harpreet Kaur, Division of Endocrinology, started a 1 year full-time long assignment on February 6.

• Sondra Clegg, Division of Clinical Dermatology & Cutaneous Science, started as a casual Booking and Registration Clerk on February 6.

• Dr. Wasan Wahab is doing a locum in Neurology from January 23 – May 26, 2023.

• Raelene Kucyk, Division of General Internal Medicine, transitioned from Administrative Assistant to Education Program Assistant in January.

• Kyanna Gilks started as a casual administrative assistant in four divisions: Cardiology, Clinical Dermatology & Cutaneous Science, Endocrinology and Rheumatology.

• Tina Neath has accepted a two-year term position in Infectious Diseases and leaving her role as a booking clerk in the Division of Digestive Care & Endoscopy.

• Jillian Vandenbrand, DoM Research Program Administrative Coordinator, has left for an opportunity outside of Nova Scotia Health as of February 1, 2023.

• Tumay Boxill, Education Program Assistant in the Division of Endocrinology, has left for a position outside of Nova Scotia Health.

• Kelly Watson has left the Division of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation for another opportunity at Nova Scotia Health.

• Anna Gonsalves has left the Division of Medical Oncology for another opportunity at Nova Scotia Health.

• Sue West will be leaving the Division of Endocrinology for another opportunity at Nova Scotia Health.

• Katelyn McLeod is leaving the Division of Hematology and moving back to Ontario.

• Brian Quick is leaving the Division of Cardiology on February 27 for an opportunity outside Nova Scotia Health.

• Brian D. O'Brien (1942-2022), CD, MD, MSC, FRCPC was an accomplished department member who served in the Royal Canadian Air Force and Canadian Forces. He completed Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology residencies at the University of Alberta and a Masters in Community Health and Epidemiology at Dalhousie. Dr. O’Brien’s time in the Department spans over decades and was relocated with the military on several occasions. He spent time in the DoM from 1978 – 1983, 1984 – 1986, 1988 – 2002, 2009 – 2012. He was Division Head (General Medicine) from 1989 – 1994 and Acting Department Head in 1996 and achieved Professor status in 2002. There was no service or obituary at Dr. O’Brien’s request. The department has made a donation to Hospice Halifax in his honour.

Dr. Nabha Shetty

Bringing a Passion for the Environment to Medicine

Dr. Nabha Shetty is Director of the Medical Teaching Unit and member of the Division of General Internal Medicine.

She is leading a cross-functional team to raise awareness and bring environmentally friendly practices to the MTU.

If your division or unit is interested in learning more or partnering on green initiatives, please reach out to Dr. Shetty at Nabha.Shetty@nshealth.ca.

L-R: Dr. Alex Whynot, Dr. Desmond Leddin, Dr. Nabha Shetty, Tanya McLeod.

Photo courtesy Dr. Des Leddin

This article has been edited for length and clarity.

Can you tell us about your interest in medicine and the environment?

My interest in environment stems from the personal side. I made the link to medicine recently. I’ve been concerned about climate change for many years and have been making changes to my decisions for some time. The more I started reading about it, understanding and recognizing the breath of its impact, I started to see how it’s actually linked to healthcare: both in the way that current healthcare delivery stands to worsen our climate, and also the way climate change is impacting the people I care about as a general internist: marginalized communities. It has a more dramatic impact on health of those who are less privileged to be able to afford things like housing and air-conditioning. Ironically, the decisions of those of us who have privilege is driving the change. For example, flying around the world and driving to work. The social injustice of the situation really gets to the heart of the matter for me and has propelled me into being a leader in this realm in my work. 

What steps have you taken in “greening” the Medical Teaching Unit?

We are in the early phases of greening the MTU. We have a working group set-up and I’ve made connections with broad stakeholders including environmental services, IPAC, pharmacy and NSH quality. Our project was chosen in the NSH quality improvement team competition, so we have some support for methodology and implementation. I have three internal medicine residents who are interested are on the project team. They are all passionate and driven individuals: Dr. Maryam Yunus, PGY1 Resident, has a particular interest vulnerable populations and community health. She also has experience with focus groups. Maryam is taking the lead on patient education resources in the unit: posters in the unit and pamphlets for patients who are being admitted or discharged. Dr. Jordana Compagnone, PGY 1, and Nikki Martin, a nurse on the MTU, are also passionate about change. Jordana and Nikki are taking the lead on the waste assessment. They have completed a waste audit on the MTU and found that over 90% of the waste being disposed of as biohazardous is just regular waste. Dr. Lucy Eum, PGY 2, and Tamara Baker, a pharmacist on the MTU, are leading our reduction in MDI prescribing arm of the project. They will also be supported by NSH quality. We are also working with Dr. Alex Whynot, Psychiatry Resident, and Tanya MacLeod, an evaluation specialist with CME at Dalhousie. Alex and Tanya are taking the lead on evaluation tools to better understand attitudes and behaviours around climate change.  

I took over as director of the MTU 2 years ago. My background is in quality improvement and curriculum development. My vision is to make MTU a hub for quality improvement for medicine. Elisa Purdy, 8.2’s health services manager, is one of the main reasons we have seen so many changes in quality improvement from local projects which have led to provincial changes such as M&M changes, goals of care, and falls prevention. We have a solid team of allied health workers. Our charge nurse Vicki Martin is really amazing. She is the mother of Nikki Martin, also on our team, and has an interest in making things better.  

The MTU Quality Improvement Council meets once a month. I brought this personal passion of mine to the workplace and I’m seeing it blossom in ways that I could have only dreamed of. We are completely unfunded; but I have applied for administrative support through NSH and have been in touch with one of the founders of Cascades, Dr. Sean Christie, for support and funding.  

Do you plan to publish or present about this initiative?

Yes, absolutely. MTU is an academic unit and my hope is to package this and deliver it to other programs across the country, as well as see some peer reviewed publications come out of it.  

What changes have you and your family made to minimize your impact on the environment?

There are things we can do to make small changes along the way. I started making different decisions in my personal life. Now I only shop consignment and try not to buy new things when it comes to clothes, boxed appliances, or toys. We try to refill containers to reduce household waste. We bought an electric car 5 years ago. I’m a terrible driver so I try not to drive to work! And, we’ve done some big things because we’re privileged enough, like switch our oil heating to heat pump, and focus on cleaner energy options. I am mostly vegetarian and eat sustainably sourced seafood.  

I am a member of the Doctors Nova Scotia section of Planetary Health. The Chair is Dr. Desmond Leddin, retired member of the Division of Digestive Care and Endoscopy. He is also my mentor. We are looking at climate change action in the healthcare environment. We want to leverage our power as a department. We have representatives on high stakes tables such as AFP and the QEII redevelopment project where we can help inform decisions about planetary health.

To help further the work of the strategic plan, we are focusing on strengthening our toolkit to improve culture and conflict in our workplace. Content submitted by Diane LeBlanc, Basia Solarz and Brennan Dempsey.

Diagnosing Conflict Part 1: Bullying and Incivility

Different forms of mistreatment overlap, and they can produce similar emotions within those experiencing the conflict. However, when addressing these behaviours, it can be valuable to fully understand exactly what form of conflict is leading to counterproductive outcomes, since that will dictate the most effective remedial strategies.

For example, bullying and incivility share several characteristics. They can involve rudeness, produce negative feelings, and are both corrosive to high-functioning teams. However, these constructs are different in very important ways.

Incivility is characterized by low-intensity acts of rudeness and discourtesy, and importantly, an ambiguous intent to harm and no specific targets. So, a person who is generally rude and struggles to connect with others may be acting in an uncivil way.

Bullying, by contrast, is aimed at a target in particular, usually one on the weaker side of a power differential. Importantly, mistreatment is only bullying if it persists over a period of time - one act of rudeness or a single disagreement is never bullying. Bullying can include more intense forms of aggression such ridicule, slander, social exclusion, yelling, and a devaluation of another’s work.

Paradoxically, it can be easier for organizations to address bullying than incivility. Uncivil behaviours are often not always covered by codes of conduct and can persist at low levels within institutions. Since bullying is more intense, and typically covered by workplace policies, it can be easier to address through formal systems. However, there is a danger in conflating incivility and bullying. If we reduce true bullying to incivility, we create space for more harm. And if we inflate incivility into bullying, we can end up escalating conflicts that are best resolved on an informal, person-to-person basis.

Resident Awareness Week – February 6-10, 2022

Please take a moment this week to celebrate and recognize our amazing residents. You are an essential part of the healthcare team. Thanks for everything you do. Have a great week!

Photos below have been submitted on behalf of residents in the following programs: Core Internal Medicine (Halifax and Saint John), Hematology, Geriatric Medicine, Nephrology and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Appointment of Dr. Joffre Munro as Associate Internal Medicine Program Director

~ A message from Dr. Christine Short, Head, Department of Medicine and Dr. Ian Epstein, Acting Program Director, Internal Medicine Residency Program ~

On behalf of the Department of Medicine, we are pleased to announce that Dr. Joffre Munro has been selected as the new Associate Program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency Program for a three-year term effective January 16, 2023.

Photo courtesy: Dr. Joffre Munro

Dr. Munro is a full-time member of the Division of General Internal Medicine. Dr. Munro completed his core internal medicine and general internal medicine residency training at Dalhousie University and has made medical education a priority in his career. Dr. Munro has been actively involved in the internal medicine residency program during his time practicing in Saint John, N.B. He was a member of the Saint John IM Residency Program Committee and the Education Lead for MTU and the Division of General Internal Medicine. Dr. Munro brings his work experience as the DMNB Clerkship Site Director, and more recently, as the Assistant Clerkship Director for Internal Medicine and Career Advisor with the Office of Student Affairs, to this role. Dr. Munro is excited to accept this position and further commit to residents’ wellness and education throughout their training.

In his new role, Dr. Munro will work alongside Dr. Ian Epstein, Acting Program Director, Dr. Lori Connors, Incoming Program Director, and the DoM Education Office to lead the core residency training program in Halifax, Saint John, and Moncton. Dr. Munro will Chair the Competency by Design Committee and will work with the newly created Office of Professional Affairs to support resident well-being.

We would like to sincerely thank Dr. Aaron LeBlanc, Division of Respirology, for his many contributions as Associate Program Director from July 2020 to December 2022. Dr. LeBlanc was instrumental in streamlining ITER processes and further developing the role of the CBD committee. In June 2022, the core program graduated the first full cohort of residents under the CBD model. Dr. LeBlanc recently moved from Dartmouth General Hospital to Saint John Regional Hospital to accept the role of Saint John Site Lead for the core residency program. Dr. LeBlanc will continue to be a vital part of the leadership team and will be a valuable resource as Dr. Munro is onboarded into his new role.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Munro on his new position as Associate Program Director. We are thrilled to formally welcome him to the postgraduate education team.

Research In Action Newsletter

Nova Scotia Health Innovation Hub publishes a Research in Action newsletter for the NSH research community For the latest issue, click here: Jan. 26 edition.

If you are interested in subscribing to the Research in Action newsletter, click on the “Join our Email List” blue button on the top right of the webpage.

NSH Quality Improvement and Research Navigation Tool

Need help deciding whether your project is Quality Improvement or Research? The NS Health Quality Improvement & Safety Portfolio provides a navigation tool to help inform whether you require submission to the NS Health Research Ethics Board by evaluating your responses to a series of questions about your project. Please find the link below:

QUALITY IMPROVEMENT & RESEARCH - NAVIGATION TOOL



(https://quality-improvement.nshealth.ca/surveys/?s=TRA34A8E8J)

Dr. Amanda Vinson Receives Research Nova Scotia Grant

To kickstart research innovation with the potential to improve health care in the province, Research Nova Scotia has awarded close to $1 million in New Health Investigator Grants to 10 Dalhousie researchers.

The funding goes to scholars at the outset of their careers to establish and expand projects that promise to help solve some of our toughest health care challenges. Grant recipients will grapple with urgent issues, including the impacts of COVID-19, emergency room use, equity in access to services, our aging population, and leading causes of death like cancer and kidney disease.

Dr. Amanda Vinson, Division of Nephrology, is one of the grant recipients for her project: 

“Differences in healthcare provider perception of frailty in male and female patients with end-stage kidney disease and impact on kidney transplant referral.”

Congratulations, Dr. Vinson! To see the full list of grant recipients, click here:

https://www.dal.ca/news/2023/02/02/research-nova-scotia-funds-early-career-researchers.html

Photo from Dal News

Dr. Mary Ellen Macdonald Receives CIHR Grant

Hats off to Dr. Mary Ellen Macdonald and her team for being awarded a three-year CIHR grant that will use mixed-methods to test the Public Health Model of Bereavement Support (a model from Australia, which has never been tailored for Canada), and build a grounded theory of supporting grief. Dr. Macdonald will be leading this project with two colleagues from Ontario, Susan Cadell and David Wright. Dr. Macdonald is a Professor and the J&W Murphy Foundation Endowed Chair in Palliative Care Research.

Photo credit Owen Egan

Dr. Patrick Holland is Maritime Representative for Resident Doctors of Canada

Dr. Patrick Holland, is one of six Provincial Housestaff Organization members representing the personal and practice interest of resident doctors at the provincial level.

Dr. Holland, a current PGY3 resident in core internal medicine, represents Maritime Resident Doctors. He started his term on November 26, 2022 under a new governance structure with RDoC.

Dr. Peter Gregory, past co-chief resident, is the Newfoundland and Labrador representative member. 

Congratulations, Pat!

If residents have any questions or concerns, please email Pat directly.

Photo courtesy: Dr. Patrick Holland

Dr. Lori Connors Receives Platinum Jubilee Medal

Dr. Lori Connors recently received the Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee Medal (Provincial). Congratulations!

On June 2, 2022, His Honour the Honourable Arthur J. LeBlanc released the design of the Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal after approval was received from Her Majesty The Queen. The Platinum Jubilee Medal program concluded on 5 February 2023.

The medal was created to mark the 70th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the Throne. The Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal (Nova Scotia) honours significant contributions and achievements made by residents. Nova Scotia, along with five additional provinces (New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Manitoba Saskatchewan and Alberta), established Platinum Jubilee Medal Program in 2022. All six programs had a similar set of criteria, the same ribbon and general medal design.

https://lt.gov.ns.ca/platinum-jubilee-medal

Photo from February 9, 2023 - Update - Dr. Nicole Boutilier, Vice President Medicine

Media Request? Guidelines for physicians and staff

The Nova Scotia Media Relations Team, led by John Gillis, recently shared guidelines (January 2023) for physicians or staff who receive media requests.

Nova Scotia Health’s media relations team receives hundreds of requests each year from across Canada and beyond. The team provides media training, interview coaching and counsel regarding how to navigate complex media requests, keeping in mind considerations such as PHIA, professional standards and so on. Please ensure all requests are referred to the media relations team as a first step.

What to do if contacted by media:

1. Advise journalist to contact our provincial media line: 1-844-483-3344
2. Advise NSHAmedia@nshealth.ca of media contact including Zone Communications. (NSHAmedia reaches all team members including on-call communications)
3. Advise Zone Communications

• Krista.Keough@nshealth.ca
• Brendan.Elliott@nshealth.ca
• JohnW.Gillis@nshealth.ca
• Begin to gather relevant info for potential response.

How we can help:

• Liaise with journalist to determine story, appropriate spokesperson for topic.
• Collect required data/information from key NSH people to provide context.
• Develop key messages for use in media interviews.
• Practice interviewing techniques, particularly for when covering complex topics.
• Identify any related/conflicting issues regarding privacy, professional standards, etc.
• Stay connected/follow up with journalist to correct any errors or misinformation.

What not to do:

• Give an interview on the spot. 
• Decline to speak without referring to NSH media relations/communications.
• Say “no comment” or similar.

Vender Confirmed for One Person One Record (OPOR)

Logo from NSH News

Cape Breton University and Dalhousie University Announce Cape Breton Medical Campus

Message from Dr. David Anderson, Dean, Faculty of Medicine

On Friday [January 27, 2023], I had the privilege to be in Cape Breton for the official announcement of a collaboration between Dalhousie University and Cape Breton University to establish a medical school campus based in Sydney, Nova Scotia by the fall of 2025.  

This strategic partnership will ensure more Nova Scotians will have the opportunity to receive an excellent medical education in their home province and will assist with the recruitment and retention of physicians to the Cape Breton region, and indeed to all of Nova Scotia. With a focus on family medicine and rural medicine, the Cape Breton campus will provide training that will greatly benefit the health needs of many communities of Nova Scotians.

Cape Breton will become the third site for Dalhousie Medical School along with the very successful Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick campus based in Saint John, New Brunswick and Dalhousie Medicine campus based in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Dalhousie Medical School has a history of over 150 years of training physicians and has successfully provided distributed medical education opportunities throughout the Maritimes. We look forward to partnering with Cape Breton University, physicians in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia Health, and the community, to train the next generation of physicians at this exciting new campus.  

Faculty of Medicine 2023-2028 Strategic Plan

 - Realizing Our Ambition

The Faculty of Medicine is embarking on a new era, one defined by ambition, boundless possibilities, and our commitment to impact. For the last several years, we have worked tirelessly toward fulfilling our vision of becoming an international leader, responsive to health needs across the Maritimes. Now, poised for even greater accomplishment, we will build upon our strong foundations, and forge ahead, guided by our new strategic plan – Realizing Our Ambition.

https://medicine.dal.ca/about/fomstrategicplan.html

The plan signals the Faculty of Medicine’s long-term aspirations while providing a clear, actionable strategy to guide us through the next five years. It builds on our achievements, while guiding us in new, and exciting directions.

Realizing Our Ambition was developed to guide and engage our students, staff, and faculty and chart our course to where we hope to be over the next five years. Realizing Our Ambition, shows respect and appreciation for where we have been, with an understanding of the new standard of excellence and accountability to which we will be held. With our collective efforts, foundational and enduring change is possible and attainable.

The people, and programs, that make Dalhousie Medical School a desirable place to work and learn, and an internationally recognized leader in research, education, and collaboration, are guided by infinite ambition. In the Faculty of Medicine, we aren’t content with the status quo. We are innovators and changemakers, and as we look forward, we strive for a new era in Dalhousie Medicine, one that sees healthier Maritime and global communities, and equitable healthcare for all.

Our new strategic plan could not have been developed without the significant contributions from the Faculty of Medicine community. As we begin the implementation of the plan’s action items, which fall under four core streams: Educational Excellence, High-impact Research, Serving and Engaging Society, and Valuing People, your input and collaboration will be critical to our success.

With the incredible work of our faculty, staff, and students, in collaboration with each other and our partners, we will achieve our vision of healthier communities.

I am proud of all we have accomplished so far, and excited to see where we’ll go next.

Dr. David Anderson

Dean, Faculty of Medicine

Logo Refresh – Action Requested

Dalhousie University refreshed its logo in June 2022 to feel more approachable and contemporary. Notable changes include a more legible font and colours to comply with Nova Scotia’s Accessibility Act. 

As a result of the new logo, Dalhousie Creative Services is updating all Faculty of Medicine department and division logos. The Department of Medicine has updated our letterhead, memorandum, PowerPoint and email signature templates with the new Dalhousie logo.

For more information, please see email sent on February 6, 2023 via Mariana Zhekova.

The logos can be accessed on the Department of Medicine shared drive. 

Questions: Isha.Seth@nshealth.ca

Physician Job Postings

Grants / Awards

Nominations open for DNS leadership positions

Deadlines February 21 and March 17, 2023

Nominations for key 2023–24 Doctors Nova Scotia leadership positions are now open. Nominate a colleague for President-Elect by Mar. 17 or submit nominations for Board Chair or for one of two seats on the Board of Directors by Feb. 21. All positions are for three-year terms.

97^th Annual Dalhousie Fall Refresher 2023:

Needs Assessment – Topic Request

Specialists are invited to provide suggestions on conference speakers and content. Dalhousie is requesting suggestions for the 2023 97^th Annual Dalhousie CPDME Family Medicine Refresher Conference.

For Specialists: The target audience of the annual Fall Refresher is essentially family physicians, however, specialist physicians are often aware of topics that might be of interest to family physicians, such as changes in approach, or changes in referral patterns. As such, please provide your input on topic and speaker suggestions for this program.

Please follow this link and respond by February 14, 2023:

https://surveys.dal.ca/opinio/s?s=71521

COVID-19 Protocols at Nova Scotia Health

Mental Health & Well-Being

Department of Medicine

Nova Scotia Health

Additional Links