Thread by @mattdagley

I will be doing a Live Tweet of the NS gov "Emergency Department Improvements" briefing tomorrow morning Wednesday, January 18, 2023.

Please support the live tweet coffee.dagleymedia.com

Michelle Thompson, Minister of Health and Wellness, and Karen Oldfield, President and CEO of Nova Scotia Health will be making the announcement.

Michelle Thompson, Minister of Health and Wellness, and Karen Oldfield, President and CEO of Nova Scotia Health, will announce actions to improve care in emergency departments today at 9:45 a.m

This mornings live tweet is powered by coffee. Please support the coffee fund coffee.dagleymedia.com

LIVE in about 2 hours.

Starts in about 55 mins.

"Michelle Thompson, Minister of Health and Wellness, and Karen Oldfield, President and CEO of Nova Scotia Health announce actions to improve care in emergency departments."

Expected to start in about 13 mins.

Also @ReprtrPatHealey from @TheLakerNews will be calling in. I know this because he is sitting next to me. 😂

Livestream was expected to start now. Waiting for NS gov to start the event.

It's my understanding the media technical briefing is still taking place.

699 users currently waiting for the NS gov YouTube livestream to start.

The stream is loading up.

Starting

Michelle Thompson, Minister of Health and Wellness

Condolences to families

Actions for emergency dept.

We would changes to happen over night but many months of work have gone into what is happening today.

Our health care system has been neglected for years. Government after government, after government.

The needs of the system have changed. The system has not.

We are working tirelessly to reverse the tide of so many years of neglect.

"Nova Scotians are worried right now. I know that and I understand that"

Todays announcement - Under the premiers direction we have accelerated these actions.

Tuition rebates for those trained.

A new air ambulance.

A new phone app "digital front door"

Technology and invitation.

Questions

Wait, no. Karen Oldfield, President and CEO of Nova Scotia Health

"The healthcare system is changing. For us at breakneck speed" - Karen Oldfield, President and CEO of Nova Scotia Health

The premier spoke of urgency and no one disagreed.

Its been a tough few years for health care workers

They've been neglected and ignored. No longer.

The action for health plan is based on what was heard from health care workers.

Embracing innovation and technology.

The healthcare system hasn't changed that much. This is not our future.

If you are a health care worker looking for work, they are looking for you!

Questions

Q: What changes are going to happen?

Offering comfort and support. A blanket or water.

ER are compressed at this time.

ER is a point of access.

Provide more access. Virtual care.

Good communication, comfort and support.

Q: Expectation on lower wait times?

Immediately there will be changes.

Virtual this is your wait time. If not in person this is your wait time.

1,300 persons have been seen virtually. Many for prescription refills.

Mobile clinics and pharmacists are taking people out of the ER.

It all connects together.

Q: What does virtual care experience look like?

(I'm trying to understand this...)

They will have a technology.

(I'll see if I can try the app later)

They want to use pharmacies to take off some of the ER load.

Six tiles or apps.

A bed expediter. You will be able to see what the bed situation is like at that health care site. Still needs to be set up across the system.

Previously on paper, verbal, not real time data. This will be fixed with the app. Real time data.

It will be put out shortly. A demo in the future.

Q: Nurse practitioners in ERs?

If their skills are set for the ER, yes.

They are a real support.

It's exciting for a nurse practitioner because they can do more than one thing.

They love the mobile units. They love it.

If you enjoy your work you tell your friends and it attracts people.

They want to bring back job satisfaction. Optimism for the future.

Q: Float teams at ER?

Directors have been given hours.

Q: Cumberland?

Staffing is an issue.

They are also using travel nurses to support that team and recruiting is taking place.

These changes to support health care workers and Nova Scotians.

Q: Will there be a doctor in triage?

A second set of clinical care providers based on what is happening in the ER.

They received a letter from NSGEU, talked with health care workers, public, etc.

If they get a good idea they will do it.

"Extent of the fire hose"

Karen Oldfield, President and CEO of Nova Scotia Health is open to ideas.

Going to Questions on the phone.

It's @ReprtrPatHealey!!!

Q: Those who are fearful of ER?

Health care workers are qualified to help. Seek the care that you need.

Q: Why wasn't something done sooner before we got to this point?

Many years of neglect to the system. No financial limitation right now. We need to transform the system and how we deliver care.

Q: Funding to update skills?

A variety of different initiatives.

We need more people in the health care system.

As those staff move up we need staff to replace them.

Q: Once we have staff how do we keep them?

Workplace environments, ideas, stay interviews, etc.

More to do and committed to working with health care workers.

Q: Pay rates for doctors.

Those are the rates negotiated and agreed upon.

Q: When will the next negotiation be?

Now.

Q: Money in the current budget?

We will find it.

There is an urgency required for this.

What's important is that we deliver the service to Nova Scotians.

That's a wrap. Followed along on the live tweet? Please drop a coin in the coffee fund. coffee.dagleymedia.com