Supporting primary healthcare: Meet Christina Penny

For more than a decade, Christina Penny has been a vital part of Nova Scotia Health, dedicating her career to enhancing primary healthcare services. Christina is a primary health care coordinator in the Western Zone who supports the Need a Family Practice Registry and provides practice facilitation support to the after-hours clinics and primary care clinics in Annapolis and Kings counties 

Originally from the South Shore, Christina now calls Annapolis Valley home. She first entered the healthcare field by completing a Medical Administrative Specialist diploma from Eastern College in Halifax. Since then, she has gained extensive experience across various administrative roles in both outpatient and inpatient settings, as well as chronic disease management and primary healthcare. 

No two days look the same for Christina, and that’s one of the things she loves most about her role. As a practice facilitator, she helps clinics streamline their workflows, ensuring patients receive timely and efficient care. From educating staff on programs like MedAccess, Ocean, Meditech, Share/DIS and SAP, and patient navigation to managing data collection and analysis, Christina is a go-to resource for clinic teams. She also assists with staff onboarding, role integration and problem-solving daily challenges that arise in clinic settings. 

"The most rewarding part of my job is providing education and training to staff members to enhance clinic flow and ultimately the patient experience," Christina says.  

Over the years, Christina has developed an in-depth understanding of Nova Scotia’s healthcare system. “I take pride in helping staff learn how to help their patients navigate Nova Scotia Health programs and systems so they can receive the right care, at the right time, by the right provider,” she says. 

Practice facilitation is all about improving how clinics function, making sure teams can work efficiently while providing high-quality care to their communities. Christina’s work directly impacts primary healthcare by fostering teamwork, initiating quality improvement projects and optimizing access to services. 

Over the years, Christina has seen the importance of collaboration within healthcare. "There is so much more to primary healthcare than just your doctor or nurse practitioner. Nova Scotia Health has integrated allied health professionals such as dietitians, social workers, occupational therapists and pharmacists to support you in your healthcare journey." 

Outside of work, Christina leads an active life filled with family, animals and sports. She and her family live on a small hobby farm with two large dogs, three cats and 10 ducks. Life is busy with pre-teen triplets: two daughters who love competitive sports and a son with a passion for reading and learning.  

Christina loves to be involved in her children’s activities, coaching her daughters’ soccer and basketball teams. They have even managed to make basketball a family affair. “I’m the assistant coach, my daughters both play on the team, and my son does the score sheet and collects stats,” she says.  

When they’re not on the court or field, they enjoy summer days at the lake and cozy winter nights by the fire with game nights. 

With her dedication to improving primary healthcare and her passion for community involvement, Christina Penny is making a meaningful difference in the lives of both patients and healthcare providers across the Western Zone. 

Photo of Christina Penny with her three children.