News/Canada/Nova Scotia

Two unions representing workers at Halifax hospital sites say parking problems for employees are so acute that it will become a staffing retention issue if solutions aren't found soon.The Houston government made good on an election campaign promise Thursday by implementing a new free parking program at health-care sites in Nova Scotia. But angry feedback from Halifax staff had Nova Scotia Health and the IWK asking for patience after workers complained the new system has made it impossible for them to find parking spots unless they arrive significantly earlier for their shifts."It's definitely extremely frustrating for our members and absolutely our members are going to look for other options if they continually face this situation every day," said Hugh Gillis, first vice-president of the N...

Premier Tim Houston is going ahead with an election promise to eliminate parking fees at health-care sites in Nova Scotia, starting Thursday morning.The move was a promise from all three parties in the last provincial election, but came with concerns that parking is already an issue in busy locations including the IWK Health Centre, Dartmouth General and Victoria General. In a news release Wednesday, Houston said people have been eager to see the change. "Nova Scotians shouldn't have to worry about parking fees when they're sick and seeking health care or caring for our loved ones," he said.The release said people using the lots will need to get tickets validated to ensure they are patients, visitors, or staff.It added that "specific details surrounding the free-parking initiative could va...

It was a tongue-in-cheek moment at the Nova Scotia Nurses' Union's annual general meeting a few weeks ago when president Janet Hazelton egged on the health minister to do more to hire American nurses."I've gotten emails from several nurses from the U.S. that want to move here ... apparently they're having issues with their leadership," she joked. "Maybe you could give the college a little nudge ... We should be taking these nurses!"While the interaction brought chuckles at Hazelton's poke at the political climate in the United States, it came with a serious question: Why did Nova Scotia pause a fast-track licensing program for international nurses, just when some Americans are eyeing a move north?But the regulatory body in charge of licensing nurses wants people to know the door to America...

Most of us likely have days when we feel we're not looking our best.Maybe our hair's a little wonky, or we look more tired than usual. Or perhaps there's a feature of our physical appearance that we've never quite made peace with. But for some young men who participate in an online community called "looksmaxxing," those self-critiques can become excessive. And the criticism they receive from other members — and their suggested remedies, which can include self-injury and surgery — are even more extreme.Looksmaxxing is, on the surface, about trying to look your best in order to attract a partner. But a new study from Dalhousie University says while the community is framed as self-help, it can be harmful to participants."It is really caustic to the self-esteem of men and boys," says Michael H...

The IWK Health Centre says it has been bombarded with feedback as it looks to overhaul its menu.The Halifax hospital for women and children launched a survey in March, asking current and former IWK families to weigh in on the Dial for Dining food services.It operates similar to room service at a hotel, allowing patients and their families to order off a menu around the clock.Andrea Penney, the manager of food services, said she was shocked by the response. At least 900 surveys were completed before the deadline on Friday night."This shows how important nourishment is in the patient journey and what an impact it has," she said. "We know that it's one of the items that when you're in hospital you can control."The IWK is launching a new computer system in August that will include changes to t...

A Nova Scotia woman recovering from a lung transplant says she had to take tens of thousands of dollars from her retirement fund in order to undergo the life-saving procedure because provincial medical allowances fall far short of her expenses.Nan Clarke, who is originally from Charlottetown but retired in the Halifax area, was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in 2019. That's a thickening of the lungs that causes them to stiffen up."We were told there was a possibility of dying early on. That was hard to take," Clarke, 73, said in an interview.Clarke's only chance of survival was a transplant, but that meant temporarily moving to Toronto.Lungs are the only organ that can't be transplanted on the East Coast. Patients undergo their initial treatment and tests in Halifax, but must...

Nova Scotia's health authority issued a tender on Thursday for master planning services as part of the continued redevelopment of the QEII Health Sciences Centre, work that could include the development of a new hospital building.The tender calls for project management and architectural services for further redevelopment of buildings on the campus that includes the Halifax Infirmary and the series of buildings around the Victoria General Hospital.The work would also include, "if deemed required by Nova Scotia Health and the province, the development of an additional QEII site (location yet to be determined)," according to the tender.The initial term of the agreement would be for two years, with the health authority having the ability to extend it for an additional year. Submissions are due...

Nova Scotia's health authority says it has hired one doctor eager to leave the United States because of President Donald Trump, and is in talks with more than two dozen more.The authority launched a digital recruiting campaign in the U.S. in November, targeting physicians feeling uneasy about the election results."We saw it as an opportunity with the election to remind folks and the leads that we have in the U.S. that we are here, ready and waiting for them should they wish to choose Nova Scotia to come practise here," said Katrina Philopoulos, the director of physician recruiting.Nova Scotia Health has been actively recruiting south of the border for years, but the new campaign led to 150 responses."We have seen some in certain specialties that have decided that they're worried about how ...

When Bruce Masales was diagnosed with Stage 4 bladder cancer, he says the news came without warning.But as a longtime volunteer Halifax firefighter, Masales said he at least took comfort in the belief he would receive financial compensation. However, Masales said he was told he doesn't qualify under the provincial Workers' Compensation Board or other municipal insurance coverage, falling through a gap in both systems."I'm sitting there — I was kind of shocked," Masales, 60, said recently.The doctors discovered the cancer during an unrelated surgery he had last summer, Masales said.He was diagnosed in August 2024 with metastatic Stage 4 bladder cancer — meaning it had spread to other organs. Masales was originally told he had about a year to live.Bruce Masales, right, poses for a photo in t...

Five weeks after Cathy Croskery's right breast was biopsied for suspected cancer, she still hadn't received the results.She figured that was good news. It wasn't.The 58-year-old mother and wife eventually discovered she has invasive carcinoma, but had to track down that diagnosis herself.Croskery doesn't have a family doctor. She said that led to barriers getting into the system and a breakdown in communication in receiving test results that would ultimately land her in an operating room for a lumpectomy days after finally receiving them."If I had kept going, 'No news is good news,' where would I be?" said Croskery, who lives in Middle Sackville, N.S., but is originally from Burlington, Ont. "That's a death sentence for a lot of people."Experts say Croskery's case underscores that the prov...