Health Transformation Hub

Key Messages

Our Commitment to Action for Health

The development of a health workforce strategy is one of our commitments to Nova Scotians through Action for Health, the government's strategic plan to transform health care. Ensuring we have the health care talent to care for people is at the core of all solutions in Action for Health.

Three solutions have specific actions focused on creating a stable and sustainable health workforce to meet the needs of Nova Scotians:

  • Solution 1: Become a magnet for health providers
  • Solution 2: Provide the care that Nova Scotians need and deserve
  • Solution 3: Cultivate excellence on the frontlines

Our Commitment to Health Equity and Anti-Racism

The health workforce strategy is one of our commitments to Nova Scotian’s to be responsive to the actions identified in the government’s Equity and Anti-Racism Strategy. 

Overview

The Health Human Resources Initiative has been established in collaboration with the Department of Health and Wellness, Department of Seniors and Long-term Care, Nova Scotia Health, IWK Health, and Emergency Health Services to support organizations and communities to attract, recruit, retain and redesign health workforce talent in all areas of the province.

Areas of Focus

Recruit

Ongoing actions to recruit talent to Nova Scotia

  • Streamlined training of new graduates
  • Domestic and international recruitment
  • Focused approaches to secure health care providers in rural areas and for specialized teams

Retain

Ongoing actions to retain and grow existing talent in Nova Scotia

  • Wellness and recognition
  • Professional development
  • Retention incentives
  • Improved work environments

Redesign

Ongoing actions to support teams and streamline services for Nova Scotians

  • Team-based care and increased scopes of practice
  • New technology and innovation
  • Streamlined processes for recruitment, onboarding and orientation
  • Improved staffing and scheduling systems

Monitor

Ongoing actions to understand and plan for the workforce we need

  • Information and data systems

Current Activities

Provincial Strategy

A provincial health workforce strategy is in development and will be launched in Fall 2023.

  • The health workforce strategy is one of our commitments to Nova Scotian’s to be responsive to the actions identified in the government’s Equity and Anti-Racism Strategy.
  • Between March and August 2023, the team engaged health staff, key partners and members of the public to gather feedback around recruitment, retention and redesign to inform the provincial strategy. A What We Heard report will be available in September. 

Core Team

The Health Human Resources Initiative has established a core team:

  • Dr. Annette Elliott Rose, Lead
  • Noella Whelan, Advisor, Health Transformation Office (support role)
  • Rebecca Earl, Lead, System Workforce Initiative
  • Paula Hann, Director, System Workforce Initiative
  • Jenny Hackney, Senior Project Strategist, System Workforce Initiative
  • Shana Cristoferi, Senior Advisor Communications & Change Management, Health Transformation Office (support role)

Retention Strategy

  • A province wide retention strategy is in development and will be launched in Fall 2023.

Team-based Care Design

  • Nova Scotia Health’s Interprofessional Practice and Learning (IPPL) team has developed a Team-based Care Design guide which provides tools and resources leaders can use to help support the review, design or redesign of team-based care models.

New and Expanded Retention Incentive

  • Creating more and expanding existing retention incentives to improve employee satisfaction.

Enhancing Current and Future Workforce

  • Developing stronger career pathways and opportunities for professional development as well as actions to improve education, training and licensing availability to bolster our current and future health workforce.

Physician Assistants

  • Adding physician assistants to collaborative primary care sites across the province.

Supporting Internationally Trained Health Workers

  • Actively recruiting health care workers from other countries and evolving licensing and training to get them working in Nova Scotia faster.

Housing

  • Investing in affordable housing for health care workers who move to Nova Scotia and work in communities with limited housing options.

Child Care

  • We’re working with the province to ensure the childcare needs of health workers are a priority.

Sponsors and Leads

Leads

  • Dr. Annette Elliott Rose, Vice President Clinical Care (Strategy) and Chief Nurse Executive, IWK Health

Executive Sponsors

  • Dr. Nicole Boutilier, VP Medicine, Nova Scotia Health
  • Craig Beaton, Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Health and Wellness
  • Dr. Gail Tomblin Murphy, VP Research, Innovation and Discovery, Nova Scotia Health
  • Anna Marenick, VP People, Culture, and Belonging, Nova Scotia Health

Contact