One year after opening, a new model of pelvic healthcare at Dartmouth General Hospital shows remarkable results

One year after opening its doors, the Deanne Reeve Pelvic Health Suite at Dartmouth General Hospital is reshaping how pelvic healthcare is delivered. 

In the first year, this new model of care is increasing access, reducing wait times, improving the patient experience and creating capacity across the healthcare system.

“We’re seeing more people sooner and treating more patients in the same visit,” says gynecologist Dr. Brett Vair. “The suite is transforming how quickly patients get the care they need in a more comfortable setting.”

The Pelvic Health Suite was designed to enhance access to women's health procedures and cystoscopy, helping more patients receive timely, patient-centered care without relying on operating room availability. The results have been remarkable.

Within the first year, the suite has quadrupled gynecologic procedure capacity and tripled cystoscopy capacity, directly reducing wait times and ensuring patients get care sooner.

Before the suite opened, hysteroscopies were performed in the main operating room and cystoscopies were done in the endoscopy area.

Both procedures use small, flexible cameras to assess the uterus, bladder or urethra, allowing clinicians to quickly diagnose -- and often treat -- issues such as abnormal bleeding, polyps, fibroids or urinary concerns.

By moving these services into a space designed specifically for these treatments, more patients can be assessed and treated sooner, with fewer delays and in a more comfortable, patient-centered setting.

This shift has also created broader hospital-wide benefits.

By moving these procedures out of operating rooms and endoscopy suites, Dartmouth General Hospital has freed up operating room time and staff resources, including anesthesiologists, for more complex surgeries.

In addition, women’s health procedures, including hysteroscopies, IUD insertion/removals, and fibroid and polyp removals, now take place in the suite, supported by nurse-led procedural sedation where appropriate. 

This has improved the patient experience by offering sedation for treatments that can be uncomfortable or anxiety provoking.

"I had a wonderful experience at the Pelvic Health Suite,” said one patient who preferred not to be named. “I felt welcome from the minute I arrived at the desk. My nurses Amanda, Natasha and Jenn were all lovely and very knowledgeable. I felt well cared for and comfortable the entire time. 

“Dr. Vair was lovely and ensured every step was thoroughly explained to me. I can honestly say the experience was a relaxing one and I would highly recommend the Pelvic Health Suite to a friend," she said.

Cystoscopy services have also benefited from the new suite. The move to the Pelvic Health Suite means significantly more patients can be seen, diagnosed and treated without delay, while creating more endoscopy access for procedures like colonoscopies.

The Deanne Reeve Pelvic Health Suite is the result of an extraordinary collective effort, made possible through the support of Nova Scotia Health, the Department of Health and Wellness, the Nova Scotia Health Innovation Hub, Orchid Gala and the Dartmouth General Hospital Foundation. 

Through a strong, shared vision, the Health Innovation Hub secured $6.7 million in funding over five years and, in close partnership with clinical teams at Dartmouth General Hospital, helped define the resources needed to support the suite’s long-term success.

The first year has shown what’s possible when clinical expertise, patient-centered design and community support come together. The Pelvic Health Suite is not just improving access today; it’s building a more efficient, responsive model of pelvic healthcare for years to come.

Photo of (L-R) Dr. Brett Vair; Holly Parr, LPN; Natasha Cameron, RN and Tracy Boudreau, clinical leader in the Pelvic Health Suite. Photo by Kelly Clark.