Knowledge Exchange

Featured QWL Story

(Karen Eaton, Social Worker, Mental Health Services, CEHHA; Mary Ellen Vaughan, Johnson Inc.; Sandra Tiller, Community Mental Health Nurse, Mental Health Services, CEHHA; Dianne Fortnum, Director, Mental Health Services, CEHHA)

Making Strides

Health Association Nova Scotia, the Bluenose Chapter of CCHSE, and Dalhousie School of Health Services Administration, jointly announced the recipients of three new awards recognizing outstanding leadership by health service organizations in Nova Scotia. Colchester East Hants Health Authority is the recipient of the Aramark Award for Achievement in Environmental Leadership and the Award for Innovations in Quality Worklife. Cumberland Health Authority is the recipient of the Big Strides in Quality Worklife Award. The awards were conferred on Monday evening, March 29, 2010, during the Provincial Healthcare Leadership Conference in Halifax.

“These three new awards recognize the leadership that health organizations are taking in a number of areas to improve the health and well-being of Nova Scotians and, ultimately, to help ensure the sustainability of our health system. This includes embracing a comprehensive view of health that is inclusive of a healthy environment as a critical component of the well-being of Nova Scotians. It also includes the QWQHC belief that a fundamental way to better healthcare is through healthier healthcare workplaces,” says Carla Anglehart, Director of Organizational Development at Health Association Nova Scotia. “As sponsors, we are extremely impressed by the calibre of this year’s awards submissions and are pleased to recognize and celebrate these organizations’ accomplishments.

The Innovations in Quality Worklife (QWL) Award was sponsored by Johnson Inc. This new award recognizes a health organization in Nova Scotia that has signed the Quality Worklife Quality Healthcare Collaborative Charter and that has demonstrated innovation(s) in their efforts to create and maintain a healthy healthcare workplace. This year’s winner, Colchester East Hants Health Authority, received a cheque for $5,000 to support ongoing work in this area, a trophy and a framed certificate. The runner up, IWK Health Centre, received special acknowledgement at the awards banquet and was invited to showcase their submission.

(Mary Ellen Vaughan, Johnson Inc.; Darla MacPherson, Vice-President of Community Health, Cumberland Health Authority; Angela Best, Organizational Health Manager, Cumberland Health Authority)

The Big Strides in Quality Worklife Award, was also sponsored by Johnson Inc. This new award recognizes and encourages continuation of ongoing QWL activity for an organization that has made some significant strides(s) in overcoming major challenges/barriers to addressing quality worklife in their organization. This year’s winner, Cumberland Health Authority, received a cheque for $5,000 to support ongoing work in this area, a trophy and a framed certificate. The runners up, IWK Health Centre and Capital Health, received special acknowledgement at the awards banquet and were invited to showcase their submissions.

Health Association Nova Scotia (previously Nova Scotia Association of Health Organizations, NSAHO) is a non-profit, non-government association of organizations committed to the health and wellbeing of Nova Scotians. Our broad-based membership includes the district health authorities and the IWK Health Centre; more than 90 continuing care organizations, including nursing homes, home care organizations, adult residential centres, regional rehabilitation centres, and residential care facilities; as well as other health-related organizations.