Improving Access to Healthcare
Free Tuition for Paramedics, Emergency Medical Responders
Nova Scotia will cover full tuition costs for more than 460 people who want to become a primary care paramedic or emergency medical responder.
In return, paramedics must work in the province for four years and emergency medical responders must work here for two years.
This recruitment initiative includes:
about 180 emergency medical responders; investment of $1.9 million to cover tuition
about 150 new primary care paramedics; investment of $3.58 million
about 135 primary care paramedics, currently in training or recent graduates, whose tuition was already 50 per cent covered by the Province in exchange for three years of service – the Province will cover the other half of tuition for one additional year of service; investment of $1.35 million
There are currently 14 emergency medical responders and 692 primary care paramedics working in Nova Scotia.
Emergency Medical Responders Ready to Respond
Nova Scotia’s first class of emergency medical responders is ready to join the front lines and provide direct care to Nova Scotians.
Fourteen Nova Scotians, ranging in age from 19 to 60, graduated from the inaugural emergency medical responder program on June 14. The program prepares learners to work as part of the paramedic care team.
Emergency medical responders, who have successfully become part of the emergency healthcare system in several other provinces, can assess, stabilize and transport patients to hospital. They partner with a paramedic, rather than having two paramedics staff ambulances, and this increases the number of teams available to respond to an emergency call.
Emergency medical responders can also work in teams of two, without a paramedic, in emergency department offload areas and to transfer low-risk patients who have been assessed and do not require medical care during transport. This frees up paramedics to focus on and respond to emergency calls faster.
More information about the program is available at: https://www.medaviehealthed.com/emr/
Province Expands Access to Electronic Health Records
More Nova Scotians can now access their health information anywhere, any time through the YourHealthNS app.
The Province has expanded electronic health records access provincewide after a successful three-month pilot project with 15 family doctors and seven nurse practitioners at six clinics. The pilot was available to more than 13,000 patients.
Anyone with a valid Nova Scotia health card now has access to information about:
visits to hospitals or clinics that did not require an overnight stay (like a blood collection appointment) including the provider, location, appointment type, date and time
visits to IWK Health, including the date, time and reason
visits to their family doctor or nurse practitioner, including the date and time (by end of September)
VirtualCareNS appointments, including the date, time and reason
hospital stays and emergency department visits, including location, provider, date and time of arrival and discharge, and reason for visit
their medications, including the prescription name, dosage and how long they should take the medicine
lab results, including blood, urine and general lab tests
diagnostic imaging scans – like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) and X-ray – including the body part scanned, the healthcare provider who ordered it, date, time and location
Local Healthcare Access Points
Northern Zone at a Glance
Significant progress continues in healthcare in Colchester-East Hants, Cumberland and Pictou areas, and we're excited to share some of the highlights from the last year.
Together, we're committed to creating a healthier tomorrow for Nova Scotia!
Welcoming North Nova Family Medicine Residents
Recently I had the pleasure of welcoming a new cohort of North Nova Family Medicine Residents that have just begun their journey to become family physicians.
Thank you to the Truro and Colchester Partnership for Economic Prosperity for the invitation and for organizing this welcoming event and to the Residents for choosing this great area for their residency.
New Registered Nurse First Assistant Positions Help Support Surgical Access
It has been five years since Nova Scotia Health welcomed our registered nurse first assistants (RNFA) to operating rooms.
Since then, several more RNFAs have been added to surgical teams at Colchester East Hants Health Centre, Cape Breton Regional Hospital, Glace Bay Community Hospital and St. Martha’s Regional Hospital.
RNFAs work with surgeons in scheduled and emergency surgeries to support needs such as tissue exposure, suturing, wound management and much more. They also work outside of operating rooms to contribute to patient care which includes capturing health histories and completing assessments.
New and innovative roles like RNFAs, which allow members of surgical teams to practice to their full scope, are an important part of our overall efforts to improve access to surgeries and reduce wait times.
More information can be found here: New registered nurse first assistant positions helping support surgical access and quality | Nova Scotia Health (nshealth.ca)
Pharmacist Walk-In Clinic +
The Pharmacist Plus Clinics are another way we're improving access to healthcare for all Nova Scotians.
The Truro Lawton's Pharmacist Plus Clinic is a walk-in clinic that has a nurse practitioner and pharmacists working as a team to provide a variety of health care services, from primary care to chronic disease prevention and management.
Services include:
Diagnosing and treating routine and more immediate health concerns
Prescribing medications and prescriptions renewals
Medication management or modifications
Chronic disease management
Health screening and preventative care
Ordering and interpreting tests
Vaccinations and injections
Making referrals to specialists and other health care providers
Lawton’s Pharmacist Walk-In Clinic + 316 Willow Street, Suite 20 902-896-0987
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Monday | 9:00 am | 5:00 pm |
Tuesday | 12:00 pm | 8:00 pm |
Wednesday | 9:00 am | 5:00 pm |
Thursday | 12:00 pm | 8:00 pm |
Friday | 9:00 am | 5:00 pm |
Community Pharmacy Primary Care Clinic
Pharmacist-led clinics provide an extended suite of pharmacy primary care services at no charge to people with a valid Nova Scotia Health Card.
These services include assessment and prescribing for:
Strep Throat
Pink Eye
UTIs
Chronic Disease Management (Diabetes, Asthma, COPD)
Prescription renewals for all medications and more
Publicly funded vaccines for adults and children are also available at these clinics as well as medical injections.
The Medicine Shoppe Community Pharmacy Primary Care Clinic 1B-664 Prince Street 902-814-2679
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Monday | 9:00 am | 5:30 pm |
Tuesday | 9:00 am | 5:30 pm |
Wednesday | 9:00 am | 5:30 pm |
Thursday | 9:00 am | 5:30 pm |
Friday | 9:00 am | 5:30 pm |
Saturday | 9:00 am | 1:00 pm |
Sunday | 9:00 am | 1:00 pm |
YourHealthNS App
YourHealthNS is a new app to help you to navigate health information, book services and discover care options, easier and faster than ever before, right from your phone or computer.
YourHealthNS is available to Nova Scotians now, however, this is only the first release of the app and we will continue to add new features, functionalities, programs and more over the coming months. In version 1.0 of the secure YourHealthNS app, you can:
Get free same-day care in a virtual appointment with a healthcare professional
Book blood tests, X-rays, flu shots and vaccines
Locate services and see wait times
Access information and resources on healthy living and wellness
Chat with a care navigator to identify the best services and most reliable information
More innovations, enhancements, tools and services are being added regularly. Keep checking back for updates on the app.
June in Truro-Bible Hill-Millbrook-Salmon River
Dave Ritcey to Represent Progressive Conservatives in Truro-Bible Hill-Millbrook-Salmon River
I am pleased to announced that I have been nominated as the PC candidate for Truro-Bible Hill-Millbrook-Salmon River!
Since 2020, I have been dedicated to building up the communities of Truro-Bible Hill-Millbrook-Salmon River and will continue delivering results for constituents.
See the official release here: Dave Ritcey to represent Progressive Conservatives in Truro-Bible Hill-Millbrook-Salmon River - PC Party of Nova Scotia (pcpartyns.ca)
National Indigenous People's Day
I was honoured to have the opportunity to attend the National Indigenous People’s Day celebrations in Millbrook First Nation at the Millbrook Cultural and Heritage Centre. There were lots of fun and cultural activities for the whole family including dancing, singing and food vendors.
Thank you to everyone at Millbrook First Nation for hosting such a great event.
Graduations
Each year I look forward to taking part in the convocation ceremonies and addressing the graduating classes.
Congratulations to the Classes of 2024 from: Dalhousie Agricultural Campus, NSCC Truro Campus, CEC, École acadienne de Truro and Colchester Christian Academy!
Mayors & Chiefs Breakfast
It’s always great to hear from our community leaders and stakeholders on the opportunities and challenges in our area at the annual Mayors & Chief’s Breakfast.
Thank you to the Truro Colchester Chamber of Commerce and the Legends Gaming Centre in Millbrook First Nation for hosting this event.
80th Anniversary of D-Day
June 6 marked the 80th anniversary of D-Day, a pivotal event in WWII and a day never to be forgotten.
We remember the incredible bravery our veterans displayed on this day many years ago in their pursuit of peace, freedom, and prosperity.
Lest we forget.
88 Truro Royal Sea Cadet Corps 70th Annual Ceremonial Review
On June 4 I had the honour of attending the 70th Annual Ceremonial Review for the 88 Truro Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps.
This is when the cadets get to show off all of their hard work from the training year, along with well deserved awards and recognition.
Thank you for the invitation and congratulations cadets and staff on another successful year!
Door Knocking
It is always great to be out on the doorsteps, speaking with residents in the riding about their perspectives and priorities.
A sincere thank you to the residents of Salmon River who took the time to chat with me.
Community Organization Milestones
It is always an honor to be able to recognize the great work done by the businesses and organizations in the area that contribute so much to our community.
This month, KERR Controls celebrated their incredible 75th anniversary, the Colchester Adult Learning Association celebrated their 30th anniversary and Futureworx Society celebrated 40 years!
A big thank you to all of these businesses and organizations for your dedication and congratulations on the milestones.
Village of Bible Hill
Great meetings and discussions were had this month with the Village of Bible Hill, Truro Raceway, the Rath Eastlink Community Centre operations team and the STIHL Timbersport event team.
Also always a pleasure to stop at Kennedy’s Variety on Ryland Avenue for some lunch and good conversation with the Kennedy family on a variety of topics.
Thank you everyone for the opportunity to learn about some of the amazing initiatives in the Village of Bible Hill.
Pride Flag Raisings
Attended the pride flag-raising ceremonies at the NSCC Truro Campus, Truro Town hall, Truro Police Service, CEC and in Bible Hill at the Dal Agriculture campus.
Lots of great activities and events took place in Truro to celebrate Pride month!
Big Brothers Big Sisters Garden of Friendship
It was great to join everyone at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colchester to support the launch of “Simone’s Garden of Friendship”.
Thank you to everyone who made this fantastic initiative happen.
Canada Day Celebrations
July 1 was a great day in the Village of Bible Hill and the Town of Truro with fun events for all ages including the annual Canada Day parade, food, live entertainment and more.
Thank you to all of the organizers for putting together such a fun day for all!
As always, I remain deeply appreciative of the opportunity to be your MLA. To keep up with what's happening locally and to view past editions of this newsletter, please visit my website at daveritcey.ca
Sincerely,
MLA Dave Ritcey
Truro-Bible Hill-Millbrook-Salmon River