March 5, 2026

International Women's Day

International Women’s Day 2026 happens this Sunday, March 8. It serves as an opportunity to recognize the impact women have across our province, including in healthcare system and the communities we serve. This year’s theme, “Give to Gain,” reflects something we consistently see in medicine and across Nova Scotia Health. 

Across our province, women give their knowledge, leadership, compassion and innovation – often quietly, and always with purpose. We mentor new colleagues, advance new models of care, strengthen teams and support patients and families through some of life’s most important moments. 


Over the past year, we've had the privilege of highlighting exceptional women across Nova Scotia Health who are shaping the future of healthcare. Here are just a few from our physician community:

Dr. Ishraga Awad Feels Enabled and Energized to Contribute to Improved Health in NS

Dr. Vicki Munro Achieves Atlantic Canada First with New Thyroid Procedure
Gold Medal Leadership with Dr. Tina Atkinson


These stories remind us that progress in healthcare happens through collaboration, mentorship and a shared commitment to care. I look forward to sharing more examples of excellence as the month progresses, including stories marking Canadian Women Physician's Day on March 11. Thank you for the care you provide and the difference you make.

New Division - Public Health and Preventative Medicine

Today, Nova Scotia Health and Dalhousie University announced a new Division of Public Health and Preventative Medicine. This new division – housed in the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology and led by interim head Dr. Gaynor Watson-Creed – is set to transform how the region trains, supports and empowers public health clinicians, researchers and leaders.

Read more about this new clinical and academic home for public health physicians, including Medical Officers of Health, and plans underway to launch the region's first Public Health and Preventative Medicine residency program.

One Person One Record (OPOR) Program Updates

OPOR Updates This Week at a Glance:


• Register for Wave Two Training
• Virtual Practice Labs Now Available
• On-site Provider Readiness Hubs begin March 30
• Provider Corner is your one-stop-shop for OPOR information
• OPOR team will notify participants of any cancelations due to inclement weather

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

Wave Two Training and Practice Opportunities

Classroom learning for Wave Two continues for providers (physicians, nurse practitioners, residents, fellows), clinicians and staff in Central Zone, as well as select provincial MHAP services. If you're part of Wave Two and haven't registered, you can do so through the OPOR Hub’s Training Registration Portal. Training is required to access the CIS.

Virtual Practice Labs are available daily from 8:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m. until May 8, 2026, offering self-paced workflow practice in a safe environment. Register for Virtual Practice Labs here. 


Family physicians and nurse practitioners who do not provide clinical care within a Nova Scotia Health or IWK Health facility are not included in CIS training and will continue to have view-only access through the Provider Portal.

On-Site Provider Readiness Hubs

On-Site Provider Readiness Hubs begin Monday, March 30 at various locations across Central Zone. These spaces will be equipped with devices and access to the CIS Practice Domain, offering physicians, nurse practitioners, residents and fellows the opportunity to practice on-site. 


This space is best utilized by groups of peers practicing together. Peer Mentors are expected to bring small groups to these spaces and run through workflows. Members of the OPOR Provider Adoption Team will be on-site on scheduled days to provide support and enable providers to log in to their own accounts to complete personalization. Location details, schedules and dates will be shared soon.


All physicians are encouraged to take advantage of these Provider Readiness Hubs and the opportunity for hands-on, self-directed learning. More information coming soon.

Provider Corner

Physicians are encouraged to regularly visit the OPOR Hub’s Provider Corner for up-to-date resources, training information and workflow guidance to stay prepared and confident ahead of Go-Live.


Access to the OPOR Hub, including all links above, requires active Nova Scotia Health or IWK Health network credentials. 

This communication is intended for Nova Scotia Health providers, clinicians and staff in relation to OPOR.

Call for Submissions: 2026 Quality Summits

Nova Scotia Health Quality Summits bring together employees, physicians, and patient and family advisors to celebrate and learn from quality improvement and patient safety initiatives across the province.

Present at a Quality Summit by submitting your storyboard through the QI Hub or host a booth by completing this form. The deadline to submit presentation storyboards and booths is Friday, March 13 for Northern, Western and Eastern Zones.

*New*: The submission deadline for Central Zone has been extended to Friday, July 17.

Dates and locations for this year’s summits will be announced soon, and registration to attend will open this spring. Please stay tuned for more information.

Questions? Please reach out to your zone contact: 


• Eastern Zone: EZQualitySummit@nshealth.ca 
• Northern Zone: NZQualitySummit@nshealth.ca 
• Western Zone: WZQualitySummit@nshealth.ca
• Central Zone: CZQualitySummit@nshealth.ca

Learn more about the 2026 Quality Summits here.

What Great Teams Sound Like: Reflections on Leadership, Listening and Performance in Health Care

Central Zone Medical Executive Director and "dad rock band" musician, Dr. Aaron Smith, was featured in latest edition of the Canadian Journal of Physician Leadership.

In his article, "What great teams sound like: reflections on leadership, listening, and performance in health care," he applies music as a metaphor to understand effective teamwork in healthcare. Read more.

Call for Research Study Participants: Diabetes Care in Atlantic Canada

A research team at Memorial University is recruiting healthcare provider participants for their ethics-approved study, "Exploring Access to Diabetes Care and Support in Atlantic Canada: The Intersection of Places, Perspectives and Policies (3P Diabetes Access)."

More information, including contact details for the principal investigator, can be found here.

Physician Learning Opportunities

Grief Education Series for Physicians: Grief, Self-Care and Physician Wellness with Sarah Burm, PhD and Matt Fillier

The Grief Education Series for Physicians is offered as part of Nova Scotia Health's Medical Affairs' Webinar Series and Dalhousie University's Faculty of Medicine Professional Development Webinar Series.

In this session, participants will examine the relationship between unacknowledged grief and physician burnout, moral injury, as well as compassion fatigue. It is an opportunity to gain insight into differentiating between performative and meaningful self-care, and identifying personal practices and resources to help navigate grief and loss in a compassionate way.

🗓 Date: Mar. 31, 2026

🕚 Time: 5:00 p.m.–6:30 p.m.

💻 Location: Virtual (Zoom)

Register here.

Each webinar in the Grief Education Series is eligible for Continuing Medical Education Accreditation.

More information on the series, presenters and learning objectives for the session can be found here.

1-833-876-1724

If you're a physician seeking support for your practice or wishing to provide feedback, please reach out to our hotline. Our dedicated team is ready to assist you.

In the event we're engaged in another call, rest assured your voice message will be promptly addressed within one business day. Your concerns will be directed to the Medical Affairs team and our health system partners for resolution.

Our task force is committed to returning calls and scheduling meetings with practices at mutually convenient times.

Wellness resources for physicians have been migrated to an actively monitored page on the Physician Information Portal. You can access it here.

If you have an item to submit, please reply to this newsletter.