JANET KNOX
When the Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) was created nearly four years ago, all involved — from Yarmouth to Sydney — understood that merging nine separate organizations into one would be a monumental task.
There were no illusions that we’d solve Nova Scotia’s health system challenges right away, or even in a few years. While we have come a long way since 2015, our teams are working diligently to create a modern, provincial system that meets the needs of Nova Scotians for generations to come. We have made significant progress already, but in many ways this is only the beginning.
NSHA’s first strategic plan, Healthier Together, has served us well during our early years and now requires updating. As an organization, we feel it is essential to consult those who work for or with the organization, and the people we serve, as we prepare to chart a course for the next few years. Our staff, physicians, volunteers, learners, partners and communities across the province all have a role to play in shaping the principles that guide the work we do every day.
We are asking for feedback on our organizational values: respect, integrity, courage, innovation and accountability. Your comments to date range from positive and encouraging to negative and critical. We accept them all and take every comment to heart. Everyone’s input is important because these are intended to be values that we all live up to, that guide how we show up every day, and reflect our commitment to Nova Scotians. Our ability to be constructive together will create the conditions necessary to chart our future in ways that support the needs of Nova Scotians. Hearing views that contain concerns and possible solutions is a necessary part of moving forward.
Strategic planning forces organizations to map a vision focused on the future. Our vision, Healthy People, Healthy Communities — for Generations, requires us to think and work differently, to be innovative and, above all, to collectively acknowledge that the health system simply must change. Public discussion about our health system is too often set in the past. Today, the entire country is moving toward more effective and sustainable models of care delivery in an aging demographic. We cannot continue to deliver services in a system that was designed in the past. We need to be open to change.
We recognize that with great change, there is inevitable criticism. We also acknowledge that we need to strive to better serve all Nova Scotians. And we want your help. Hundreds of you have already responded, and we hope hundreds more will share their views with us before March 1. Visit www.renewingourplan.ca to participate.
