Every day, Nova Scotia Health Authority’s 30,000-plus employees, doctors, volunteers, and learners come to work with a desire to make a difference, and they do.

Thousands of Nova Scotians, and others from across Atlantic Canada, receive exceptional and compassionate care and service. Our efforts to continually improve the quality of care and service we provide are driven by one underlying principle, caring about the people we serve.

Throughout this report, you will find stories of care, compassion, collaboration and innovation. Stories like:

• · Behavioural resource consultants who are helping to ease clients’ transition from hospital to nursing homes or from hospital to home
• · The VolunTEEN program, where Cape Breton high school students are helping with patient feeding and meal assistance, encouraging mobility and hydration, and providing companionship and support for patients who do not have many visitors
• · Raising the Villages, a declaration by numerous municipalities and First Nations communities that focuses on community action and decision-making, putting children at the centre

There are countless more.

We face challenges. Nova Scotia has among the highest rates of preventable, chronic diseases and among the worst health outcomes in the country. Our population is aging, and our workforce is changing too. More care providers are retiring as global demand for them increases, making vacancies difficult to fill. Needs, demands and expectations sometimes outpace available resources.

We understand that some Nova Scotians don’t have a family doctor or nurse practitioner, or are waiting too long for mental health care, a test or procedure or a nursing home bed. This is not the experience we want for Nova Scotians. It’s what makes our efforts to create a more responsive and sustainable health system so important.

Creation of an integrated province-wide health authority in 2015 was just a beginning. There’s much more to do, but we are working to build a health system Nova Scotians can rely on – one that supports us to be healthy and one we can depend on to access the care and support we need. Our focus is on improving timely access to community-based care and services and realigning our resources with a focus on the right care, by the right provider, in the right place, at the right time.

We are pleased to share some updates on our progress in this report, including efforts to:

• · improve access to primary health care by building and strengthening family practice teams and recruiting family doctors
• · improve access, promote wellness and improve quality of care and life for Nova Scotians who need hip and knee surgery
• · create the best experience and opportunities for recovery for individuals and families with mental health and/or substance use problems
• · enhance the health, safety and wellness of our workforce
• · engage Nova Scotians in the decisions that affect them

Implementing large-scale change in a complex, integrated system, across a broad and diverse demographic and geography, takes time. As a teaching and research organization, we are committed to ensuring the decisions we make are thoughtful and well planned, and incorporate advances in science and technology, best practices, and the needs of the population into how we deliver safe, quality and appropriate care.

We share a common goal of supporting the delivery of health services in our communities and improving the lives of Nova Scotians. As we reflect on 2018-19, our fourth year as a province-wide organization, we see many wonderful examples of the commitment of our teams and partners to improve health, care and access for all Nova Scotians. The stories in this report show us what’s possible if – fueled by caring – we work together, are open to change and embrace the possibilities before us.