Latest news with #NovaScotiaHealth
Global News
3 days ago
- Health
- Global News
Nova Scotia hospital turning to AI to improve security
A Nova Scotia hospital is turning to artificial intelligence to improve security at the facility as part of a larger effort to tackle rising violence in health-care settings. The AI-powered device is part of a new pilot project at Colchester East Hants Health Centre's emergency department in Truro, N.S., and looks like a metal detector at the front door. '(The censors) detect the characteristics of metals and then those characteristics run through an AI sensor,' said Peter Evans, CEO of Xtract One Technologies, which built the system. 'And through that AI sensor, we can then determine, 'This is a knife, this is a gun, this is a cellphone, this is a laptop, this is jewelry, (etc.).' Evans adds that the technology means weapons can be identified quickly without a pat down required. Story continues below advertisement 'In general, the average person has the experience of just walking right in and not having to go through that whole annoying process of a metal detector,' he said. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The project began Monday after the hospital's security staff received training on how to use the system. Colchester East Hants Health Centre is the first facility in the Maritimes to use the system. Dr. Jan Sommers, an emergency physician at the hospital, says she's happy to see steps taken to address safety concerns. 'My hope is that we can avoid potential incidents where patients or staff are injured by weapons that can be detected by this system,' she said. While Sommers believes systems like this can limit the severity of incidents, it's only a part of the response that's needed to improve security. 'This is not the only intervention that's needed,' she added. 'Creating a safety plan for patients and staff is going to require a multi-pronged approach. We need training in things like de-escalation skills, co-ordinated security plans.' Workplace safety and violence in health-care settings has been an ongoing issue in Nova Scotia. In January, three employees at the Halifax Infirmary emergency department were stabbed by a patient in what the province's health minister called a 'serious incident.' Story continues below advertisement 2:06 Calls for better security at Nova Scotia hospital after attack on 3 workers Nova Scotia Health says any item deemed 'unsafe' will be returned when the owner leaves the property, while any illegal weapons or firearms will be turned over to police. The project is funded through the province's Safety Innovation Fund — a $7 million initiative aimed at reducing violence in nursing.
CBC
4 days ago
- General
- CBC
Woman, 96, puts ad in newspaper to find family doctor
Dorothy Lamont, like more than 90,000 Nova Scotians, doesn't have a family physician. Having been without one for three years, she decided to take matters into her own hands. Nicola Seguin has the story.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
'Seeking a Physician': 96 and doctorless, N.S. senior turns to the classifieds
The unusual advertisement in the Friday morning newspaper caught the eyes of many Nova Scotians. It tells the story of a 96-year-old woman who is "of sound mind and body" for her age, and who doesn't want to be "a burden to the healthcare system." Her biggest concern? She doesn't have a family doctor. "I am apparently somewhere in the 80,000's in the physician waiting list, and so time is increasingly of the essence," the ad reads. Dorothy Lamont wrote that ad, using the title "Seeking a Physician" — a last-ditch effort to take matters into her own hands after three years without a family doctor. "I really didn't know what else to do," Lamont told CBC News in an interview at her home in downtown Dartmouth, N.S. "I should have a doctor. You know, at 96 years old, there's sure to be problems. But I have no one to turn to." Lamont said in the past nine years, she has had five doctors, all of whom retired or left the city. This has left her with a virtual doctor that she says just isn't cutting it. "It doesn't make sense to me," she said. "And I'm sure there are many other seniors in the same situation as I am." Though Lamont's tactic of advertising for a doctor is unique, her story isn't. An estimated 6.5 million Canadians don't have a family doctor. According to a recent Health Canada report, Canada needs nearly 23,000 additional family physicians to address the shortage. In Nova Scotia, Premier Tim Houston has campaigned on fixing health care and is aiming to slash the list of people waiting for a family doctor or nurse practitioner. The list has been shrinking, after it reached a peak of about 160,000 last June. Still, 91,474 people — or about 8.6 per cent of the province's population — were on the Need a Family Practice Registry as of May 1. "I think for all folks that are dealing with complex health concerns or for the average person in Nova Scotia, we want to connect as many people as possible as quickly as possible to care," Bethany McCormick, Nova Scotia Health's vice-president of operations for the northern zone, said in an interview Tuesday. 'At 96, I think you deserve a bit better' Lamont, a retired Grade 4 teacher, loves spending time outside tending to her tulips and large vegetable garden. She calls herself a "busy person" who used to be an avid reader before her eyesight deteriorated. She has lived in Nova Scotia all her life, and says she remembers decades ago when doctors made house calls, and it seemed like most people had access to primary medical care. Her son, Stewart Lamont, is also without a family doctor. He said his mother had a health scare last year and he spent hours with her in the emergency department. When she was eventually discharged, there was no followup because she had no doctor to send the file to. He said his mother isn't angry with the government and isn't trying to be political. What she is doing is standing up for herself and other seniors in similar situations. "We respect our seniors, we try to look after them. At 96, I think you deserve a bit better," he said. "I'm just proud of her that … she is still willing to make a public statement." The provincial Department of Health and Wellness declined an interview request for Health Minister Michelle Thompson, and directed the request to the Nova Scotia health authority. McCormick, from Nova Scotia Health, said she can't discuss Lamont's case due to patient confidentiality, but she urges anyone without a doctor to make sure their information is up to date on the registry, because the list is triaged. Patients on the registry fill out a health questionnaire and a health complexity score is created for them. "It tells us about their type of concerns and people that have chronic conditions or more complex health-care needs, maybe a new emerging issue," McCormick said. "We do use that as a way to think about who needs continuous care and connection to a family practice sooner." McCormick said she has never heard of someone putting an ad in the paper looking for a doctor. "I think that person is trying to advocate for their health-care needs, which I think is important." A surprise call Stewart Lamont said he received a call from a Nova Scotia Health employee on Friday afternoon, after the advertisement ran in the newspaper, saying his mother's information wasn't filled out properly on the registry and would now be added. They called back Monday morning and said they were working to find her a doctor. Then Monday afternoon, a Dartmouth medical clinic called and said a new doctor moving to the province to take over from one of her former physicians who retired years ago can take her on as a patient in the next few months. CBC News contacted the clinic, who said the doctor is on vacation and unavailable to comment. Dorothy Lamont said she is optimistic, but is left with one thought. "I would like all our seniors to be able to have a doctor to go to, not just me because I put the ad in." MORE TOP STORIES
CBC
6 days ago
- Health
- CBC
Nova Scotia travel nurse program starts slowly
Nova Scotia's internal travel nurse program is off to a slow start, but officials say that's by design. The program, promised by the Progressive Conservatives in the last provincial election and long called for by the Nova Scotia Nurses' Union, launched earlier this spring. Although the goal is to have 30 registered nurses participate in the yearlong pilot that right now is based at the Aberdeen Hospital emergency department in New Glasgow, so far eight people have been hired and either started working or will join the team in the coming months. Jennifer MacDougall, a director with Nova Scotia Health whose responsibilities include nursing engagement strategies, said some of the people who applied did not have the necessary background to meet the hiring criteria. Other applicants were interested in casual work, but right now the posts are for permanent full-time work. Because the pilot is focused on emergency departments, applicants must have three years of work experience and the training required to work in emergency medicine. Internal candidates cannot apply if being hired would mean leaving their previous unit short-staffed. 'Start small, let it grow' But even given all those factors, MacDougall said the advice officials in Nova Scotia received from provinces such as British Columbia and Manitoba where similar programs already exist was to ease into things. "They consistently said, 'Just start small, let it grow.'" MacDougall said there will be ongoing promotional efforts to attract more people to apply. The purpose of the program is to try to reduce the province's reliance on nurses from private agencies and create another work option that could be attractive to some nurses who would prefer not to be tied to a single site. Like most provinces, Nova Scotia spends millions of dollars a year on agency nurses to buttress a system that struggles with staffing shortages. Along with the cost, there can be other complications. Because agency nurses make a much higher hourly rate than the staff nurses they work alongside, it can create morale issues. There are also instances where the travel nurses do not have the necessary background to fit seamlessly into the unit where they are working. People who know the system Sandra Mullen, president of the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union, said that isn't an issue with members of the internal travel team because they're Nova Scotia Health employees who have passed a screening before being deployed and are already familiar with the system. "By having experienced nurses walk in beside you, you the nurse who is already on the floor is going to feel better about that," she said. "This is an NSH employee who has access to everything and I don't have to train this person." Nurses on the internal travel team are paid an additional $6 an hour above their base hourly rate or an additional 15 per cent, whichever is higher. Although that's less than an agency nurse, internal team members have access to benefits and a pension because they're employees of the health authority, something not afforded to private agency nurses. Along with the pay premium, accommodations are covered while the nurses are working in New Glasgow and, if their drive to get there from their home is more than 75 kilometres, they're paid for travel. MacDougall said right now most nurses are choosing to do four shifts and then take five days off. Guaranteed time off a big draw Nova Scotia Nurses' Union president Janet Hazelton said the work flexibility, along with the higher pay, will be attractive for some people, but she believes the biggest draw will be the ability to get more time off. Rather than the traditional 75-hour pay period, Hazelton said members of the travel team could do 90 hours or more. The extra hours are banked so they are able to have more time when they're not working without having to dip into vacation time. "That would be the thing that is attracting nurses is guaranteed time off," she said. As the pilot progresses, Hazelton said a key aspect will be finding the balance between ensuring nurses are getting enough hours to get the extra time off they want and ensuring no one is working to the point it becomes unsafe. "So I think the scheduling is going to be the issue that's either going to make or break this." MacDougall said consideration will be given to expanding the program to other sites during the pilot, but no decisions have been made yet. Mullen believes more nurses would be interested in applying if the program expands beyond emergency departments.
CTV News
7 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
Nova Scotia Health to use AI to help with security at Truro hospital
The Colchester East Hants Health Centre in Truro, N.S., is pictured on May 8, 2025. Nova Scotia Health is utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to help with security at a Truro hospital. The health authority is launching the pilot project at Colchester East Hants Health Centre (CEHHC) on Monday and says it's aimed at 'enhancing safety for patients, visitors and healthcare providers.' An AI-powered weapons detection system will screen people entering the hospital's emergency department. 'The system specializes in non-invasive threat detection and uses artificial intelligence to identify potential weapons or dangerous items. If an item is flagged, additional screening or bag searches may occur,' reads a news release from Nova Scotia Health. The pilot project is set to run for five days and will be monitored 24/7 by trained Paladin Security staff, according to the health authority. 'Safety is a top priority for everyone in our facilities—whether you're receiving care, visiting a loved one, or part of our team,' said Dean Stienburg, director of security for Nova Scotia Health. 'This new technology gives us another tool to help create a safer space for all. We are proud to be leading the way.' Nova Scotia Health says items deemed unsafe will be stored and returned to the owner when they leave the property, while firearms and illegal weapons will be given to police. If the pilot project at CEHHC is successful, Nova Scotia Health says it hopes to expand the use of the AI-powered weapons detection system to other entrances and sites across the Northern Zone. The president of the Nova Scotia Nurses' Union, Janet Hazelton, says she's pleased the $7 million 'Safety Innovation Fund government committed to is being implemented to address this alarming but real threat to staff and others.' 'It's unfortunate that healthcare dollars must be spent on security, however I believe these measures fiercely remind the public that violence in our healthcare institutions will not be tolerated.' The new security system is being implemented just a few weeks after a teen allegedly assaulted two security guards at the hospital by throwing bleach on them, striking one in the face. At the time of the incident, Hazelton said it was further proof that violence in the health-care system 'is completely out of control.' Nova Scotia Health and Wellness Minister Michelle Thompson told CTV News feeling and being safe at work 'is paramount.' 'The safety and wellbeing of everyone working in our healthcare facilities is important to us all, and those working and seeking treatment in our hospitals and healthcare facilities deserve to be able to do so without fear of threat or violence.' For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
