New Health System Council; NSH Administrator Appointed

The Province will establish a new Health System Performance and Accountability Council to improve health outcomes and experiences for Nova Scotians.

The council will monitor the quality and performance of the health system and make evidence-based recommendations to the Minister of Health and Wellness in areas where there could be improvement.

“We’ve made many improvements across our healthcare system, both behind the scenes and on the front lines to provide Nova Scotians with better and faster healthcare,” said Health and Wellness Minister Michelle Thompson. “We can always do more, and we will do more. This council will help us identify further areas of improvement to ensure patients continue to receive the care they expect and deserve.”

Areas of focus for the council include acute care, primary care, addictions and mental health, public health and health promotion, emergency health services, and seniors and long-term care.

The council will have between three and nine members appointed by the Minister of Health and Wellness. Members can serve up to a three-year term and can only be re-appointed once.

The council will meet quarterly and report its recommendations to the Minister on or before August 1 each year.

The government has also appointed Chris Power as the new administrator of Nova Scotia Health. She will take over from Janet Davidson, who held the position since 2021 and has resigned.

“I want to thank Janet for her service and commitment to providing the leadership and guidance needed to support our journey to transform healthcare for Nova Scotians,” said Minister Thompson. “The work she has started will continue as we welcome Chris, who has extensive experience working in and providing leadership within our healthcare system.”

Ms. Davidson’s resignation and Ms. Power’s appointment are both effective November 6.

Action for Health is the government’s plan to improve healthcare in Nova Scotia. The Health System Performance and Accountability Council supports Solution 4 in the plan, to build accountability at every level.

Quick Facts:

• Nova Scotia will join provinces such as Alberta and Ontario that have quality councils in place to provide strategic, system-level advice on performance and improvement opportunities
• Ms. Power began her career in healthcare as a front-line nurse and later became president and CEO of the former Capital District Health Authority.
• she has served as CEO of the Canadian Patient Safety Institute, which later merged with the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement to become Healthcare Excellence Canada

Additional Resources:

Action for Health: https://novascotia.ca/actionforhealth/

Mandate letter for the Minister of Health and Wellness: https://novascotia.ca/exec_council/letters-2021/ministerial-mandate-letter-2021-DHW.pdf