July 23, 2026

One Person One Record (OPOR) Program Updates

OPOR updates at a glance:


• Wave 3:
• Call for Provider Peer Mentors
• Roadshows are underway!
• PDAAC begins July 30
  
• Wave 2
• Helpful tips and resources beneath
• New Provider or Medical Learner Training

Note: Active network credentials for Nova Scotia Health or IWK Health are required to access links above and below, unless otherwise indicated. More information beneath.

Wave Three News

Call for Provider Peer Mentors

Support your colleagues in Wave Three by becoming a Peer Mentor. Peer Mentors provide real-time guidance, promote system adoption and help teams build confidence using the CIS. Learn more about the role and see who is already on the Wave Three Provider Peer Mentor roster on the OPOR Hub.

Roadshows are underway!

Roadshows kicked off this week at Cape Breton Regional Hospital. Emergency physicians Dr. Nathan Chow and Dr. Faysal Tabbara were just two of the participants, pictured at right using a WoW and learning some of the functionalities of the CIS.

Upcoming dates and locations over the next few weeks include: 

• Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre: Tuesday, July 28; 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
• South Shore Regional Hospital: Tuesday, August 4; 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
• Valley Regional Hospital: Thursday, August 6; 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
• St. Martha’s Regional Hospital: Tuesday, August 18; 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
• Eastern Memorial Hospital: Wednesday, August 19; 9:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.

Visit the OPOR Hub for the latest details, full schedule and printable promotional posters for sites and units. Schedule is also available on the Physician Portal (no NSH login required).

PDAAC for Wave Three begins July 30

The Provider Digital Adoption and Advisory Council (PDAAC) is a provider-centric advisory body focused on readiness supports to ensure the successful adoption of the CIS. Beginning Thursday, July 30, PDAAC will meet every two weeks to provide a forum for physician and nurse practitioner input, leadership engagement and operational alignment for Wave Three readiness. Learn more on Provider Corner.

Wave Two Resources & Reminders


Resolving CIS questions and concerns

If you have a question or concern related to your use of the CIS, ensure it reaches the right teams for support and resolution.

Start by accessing local supports, including Provider Corner, Provider Peer Mentors, the Provider Adoption Team, or the CIS Virtual Assistant. If additional support is needed, escalate through your Division or Department Head, who can help determine next steps. Learn more here.

Remember to check the OPOR Hub regularly for the latest Change Notifications and Job Aids to support your use of the new system. Other resources include:


• Provider Corner
• Key Workflows and Topics for Providers
• Logging a ticket through the CIS Help app

New to Central Zone? If you are a new provider or medical learner, visit this link to request CIS training and access for upcoming elective medical learners.

Nova Scotia Health or IWK Health network access is required to access links above. 

Air Medical Transport Service (Non-Urgent Patient Transport) Out of Service: July 26-Aug. 22

Air Medical Transport Service (AMTS) fixed-wing aircraft (non-urgent patient transport) will be out of service from July 26 to August 22, 2026 for scheduled maintenance. During this period, AMTS will be unavailable. To support continued operations, the AMTS medical crew will be redeployed to a ground transport unit to assist the transfer system.

This outage will have operational impacts, particularly for patients requiring transport to and from tertiary and specialty services, especially in areas that rely heavily on AMTS, such as Cape Breton and Yarmouth. The Care Coordination Centre (C3) Provincial Transfer Hub is working collaboratively with Emergency Health Services (EHS), zone-based Patient Flow teams, and operational leaders to help mitigate delays and support patient movement during this period. Read more here.

Please escalate transportation concerns, barriers or emerging issues through the Provincial Transfer Hub via the Patient Manager (PM) Tile or by email at c3escalations@nshealth.ca. If you have questions regarding the AMTS outage, please contact Matthew Johnson, Air Medical Transport Supervisor, at matthew.johnson@emci.ca.

Thank you for your support and collaboration as we work to minimize impacts to patient care and patient flow during this service interruption.

New Provider Guides: Tetanus-Containing Vaccines

Public Health has developed two new quick reference guides to support providers administering tetanus-containing vaccines:


• Tetanus Containing Vaccine Product Guide
• Tetanus Containing Vaccine Product Guide by Clinical Scenario
  

These guides are designed to help providers choose the appropriate tetanus-containing vaccine based on a patient's age, immunization history and clinical scenario. With several tetanus-containing products available in Nova Scotia, including Td, Tdap, Tdap-IPV and DTaP-IPV-Hib, the guides provide a simple, at-a-glance reference to support clinical decision-making at the point of care.


For complete product information and detailed recommendations, please refer to the product monographs and the Canadian Immunization Guide.

Electronic Death Registration (EDR) Progress

Since November 2025, physicians and nurse practitioners across Nova Scotia have begun adopting the Electronic Death Registration (EDR) digital medical certificate of death process. Thanks to your efforts and willingness to try a new system, the process of certifying and registering a death in Nova Scotia is now quicker and easier! 

Progress Highlights: 

📣147 physicians or nurse practitioners submitted electronic medical certificates of death during the month of June 

📈 36% of Medical Certificates of Death received by Vital Stats in June were completed electronically 

🏅 Western Zone is leading the way with 40% of their Medical Certificates of Death completed electronically! 

📆 95% overall reduction in processing time for death registrations 

Need access?: If you are a Physician or Nurse Practitioner, you can enter an IT Assyst ticket requesting Certifier access. You can also reach out to us directly for help at Help.Vitalware@novascotia.ca 

Benefits of switching to electronic Medical Certificates of Death

Electronic Medical Certificates of Death help reduce physician burden. Smart digital forms eliminate common errors, provide an opportunity for additional support from healthcare staff, and reduce the effort associated with amendments.

Several improvements have been made based on user feedback and work continues to ensure that the EDR is as efficient as possible. 


Log in to EDR here: Vitalware EDN Service 


Submit questions, feedback or comments about EDR at Help.Vitalware@novascotia.ca 

Reminder: Novari MIRM Office Hours for Central Zone & IWK Radiologists

The Novari MIRM Training Team continues to offer recurring Office Hours to support Central Zone and IWK radiologists through December 2026.

Radiologists are welcome to attend either of the following session types:

• Team Office Hours – Open to all Novari MIRM users and focused on common workflows, practical tips and frequently asked questions.
• Radiologist Office Hours – Dedicated sessions designed specifically for radiologists, with a focus on radiologist workflows, functionality and role-specific questions.
  

These informal drop-in sessions provide an opportunity to ask questions, discuss workflows, share feedback and receive support directly from the Novari MIRM Training Team.


Find upcoming dates, session topics and Teams meeting links here.

Family Medicine Conference: Oct. 23

The Nova Scotia College of Family Physicians invites you to join them for their Family Medicine conference this October.

🗓 Date: Friday, October 23

🕚 Time - NSCFP Family Medicine Conference: 8:50 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

🕚 Time - NSCFP Awards Banquet: 5:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m.

💻 Location: Canadian Museum of Immigration, Pier 21, Halifax, or Live Online Learning

Learn more and register here.

Advancing Global Primary Care for Adolescents

Family physician Dr. Muna Chowdhury has made a career helping adolescents. A new book, Working with Adolescents and Young Adults in General Practice: A Guide for Family Physicians, extends her reach beyond Nova Scotia’s borders, providing a trusted resource for comprehensive adolescent healthcare around the world. 

Read more about her journey, her passion and her hopes for this WONCA-endorsed book.

Palliative Care Learning Opportunities for Physicians

The Nova Scotia Health Palliative Care Network is pleased to offer the following Fall 2026 education sessions for physicians.

Palliative Approach to Care ECHO® Series

This four-part webinar series aims to build foundational knowledge of the palliative approach to care among healthcare professionals across specialties and care settings. 

Webinars include:

• Palliative Approach to Care: Sept. 9, 2026; 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
• Goals of Care and Levels of Intervention: Sept. 23, 2026; 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
• Grief Foundations: Palliative Care Essentials: Oct. 20, 2026; 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
• Expected Death at Home: Oct. 29, 2026; 1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.

Registration is by individual webinar. There is no requirement to attend all four webinars. 

Learn more and register here.

LEAP™ Core Online | Fully Sponsored Fall 2026 Sessions

The Palliative Care Network is offering three fully sponsored sessions of LEAP™ Core Online this fall for Nova Scotia healthcare professionals who want to strengthen their skills in providing compassionate, person-centered palliative care. 

LEAP™ Core Online combines 17 self-directed online modules with live, interactive webinar sessions led by experienced facilitators. Registrants must make a commitment to fully complete the self-directed modules prior to the scheduled webinars (approximately 8 hours of work). 

Webinar dates and times:

• Sept. 21 & 22, 2026 (Monday, Tuesday); 5:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
• Oct. 14 & 15, 2026 (Wednesday, Thursday); 5:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
• Oct. 24, 2026 (Saturday); 8:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

Seats are limited. Please complete the Expression of Interest online form to confirm seat availability for your preferred webinar and receive the instructions to self-register.

Learn more.

Physician Learning Opportunities

Summer is a great opportunity to catch up on some asynchronous learning opportunities you may have missed.

Coaching Physicians: A Prescription for Leadership offers practical tips and tools that can be applied to physician work: whether hospital-based or in the community. A repository of these short, 20-25 minute podcasts is available here. Take a look and a listen: you never know what valuable tidbits you might find.

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