The Health Services Foundation is hiring a Physician Settlement & Retention Coordinator.

The Health Services Foundation of the South Shore has a long history of making a positive impact on the South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater and the Fishermen’s Memorial Hospital in Lunenburg by raising millions of dollars to purchase critical equipment and support programming. As we continue that work we are inviting the right person to join us to assist in physician recruitment, settlement and retention in Lunenburg County.

Reporting to the Executive Director, while working with the Physician Attraction, Settlement & Retention Committee, Foundation staff and the hospital community, the Physician Settlement & Retention Coordinator must be able to demonstrate superior communications skills, proven organizational skills, have a keen understanding of people and an ability to capitalize on all that Lunenburg County has to offer, while working as a part of a collaborative team.

A passion for health care and a healthy community is required.  

Applicants will be expected to have a university degree or diploma in Business, Public Relations or a related field. A hybrid working environment is available with some time spent at South Shore Regional Hospital or Fishermen’s Memorial Hospital as necessary. Some travel will be necessary. This is a permanent full-time job with medical and dental benefits and a pension.

Applications will be accepted until August 12, 4:00pm. Please submit a resume and cover letter, either through regular mail or electronically to Arleen Stevens, Executive Director of at the Health Services Foundation to demonstrate your interest. We thank all applicants in advance. Inquiries by email only.

Health Services Foundation of the South Shore

PO Box 492

Bridgewater, NS  B4V 2X6

or by email arleen.stevens@nshealth.ca

In life, we are never guaranteed time, and what we receive is rarely enough. For Carl MacInnes, his interest in making the South Shore a better place is continuing through the generosity of his family.

Carl was a driven businessman, owning and operating the Bridgewater and Liverpool McDonald’s locations for 25 years. His wife Colette MacInnes says Carl always had an interest in making his community better.

“Carl contributed to his community through McDonald’s, or one of his volunteer organizations, for many years. (The donation) is something that he would have done if he had the voice and was here now. While this is a gift in Carl’s memory, it’s more on his behalf. “

Carl’s estate made a $100,000 donation to the Health Services Foundation’s Brighter Days campaign, in support of the redevelopment of South Shore Regional Hospital.

“He certainly used the Emergency Department in the more recent years,” notes Colette.

“It’s extremely important for people to be able to access health care in their community and not have to travel for it. There is less financial burden when local health care is more complete in your own community. This will support the quality of life here on the South Shore and keep families closer together.”

The Health Services Foundation of the South Shore is very excited and committed to raising $6.6-million in support of the South Shore Regional Hospital Redevelopment Project. It will have more news to share on its volunteer-led fundraising efforts this fall.

As Fishermen’s Memorial Hospital celebrates its 70^th anniversary, the Health Services Foundation of the South Shore is honouring the community gem by purchasing it a piece of equipment each month, for an entire year.

The creation of Fishermen’s Memorial Hospital was a project of passion, driven by the residents of Lunenburg. After a decade of hard work and fundraising, the community hospital officially opened its doors July 6, 1952.

Over its 70 years, Fishermen’s Memorial has transformed multiple times to meet the needs of those in Lunenburg and its surrounding communities. Over the years, both of the hospital’s fundraising arms, the Health Services Foundation and the Fishermen’s Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, have financially supported the facility and staff in conjunction with the health authority of the day.

Health Services Foundation Executive Director Arleen Stevens says she is excited donors have given the organization the ability to support and celebrate Fishermen’s Memorial’s 70^th anniversary with a year of giving.

“One thing you can always count on in health care is the need for new equipment or services. The Health Services Foundation is thrilled to be able to allocate funding designated for Fishermen’s Memorial to support these projects over the next twelve months, just has we have for the past nearly 30 years.”

The first project receiving funding in July is the purchase of all equipment and furnishings needed to support the development of a Nova Scotia Health Turnkey Model Collaborative Family Practice team as Pelham Medical Services makes the transition from Pelham Street to Fishermen’s Memorial Hospital.

The Foundation has committed up to $48,000 to fund:

“The Health Services Foundation of the South Shore truly understands the special place that Fishermen’s Memorial Hospital holds in the hearts and minds of the people of Lunenburg and surrounding areas,” said Tanya Nixon, Vice President Operations, Western Zone. “The foundation has always been a leader in helping to identify and support the health care needs of the community. It is so fitting the foundation has chosen to celebrate this remarkable milestone for Fishermen’s Memorial and the community in such a generous and beneficial way.”

Fishermen’s Memorial Hospital is a 46-bed community hospital in Lunenburg, which offers a wide range of program and services. Some of the program and services include emergency, inpatient care, ambulatory care, lab, diagnostic imaging, pharmacy, bone densitometry, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, mental health & addictions, diabetes education and a Veterans Unit.

The Health Services Foundation of the South Shore supports the South Shore Regional Hospital and Fishermen’s Memorial Hospital and associated sites within Lunenburg County by raising funds for enhanced health care.

Health Services Foundation Media Contact:

Alison Clements – Manager, Strategic Engagement

902-521-9522      |    alison.clements@nshealth.ca

Nova Scotia Health Provincial media line: 1-844-483-3344

NSHAmedia@nshealth.ca

Dick Joyce’s $100,000 donation to the South Shore Regional Hospital Redevelopment Project is a gift of gratitude.

He and his family have always supported local health care and hospitals, as the services touch us all.

Dick was particularly thankful for the care his wife Barbara received after her cancer diagnosis. The couple didn’t know a lot about South Shore Regional Hospital to that point, other than a couple of trips to its Emergency Department. They suddenly become very familiar with the Bridgewater hospital.

“We had a three-year history of going to the hospital every other week, and then every week for her chemo treatments. When you’re going through that process, you’re not alone; you meet a lot of people and become very involved with the (oncology) department. Barb got extremely good care. I wanted to be able to do something to let people know I appreciated the care she received. “

Dick was able to make his $100,000 donation to the Health Services Foundation of the South Shore by giving shares from his stock investments. A move the former businessman says is a win-win for he and the charities he supports.

“Most people who have stock investments will usually end up with capital gains on their investment, which are taxable. If you’re like me, you try to do what you can to avoid extra taxes. Giving shares to a charity can make your money go further for everyone involved.”

“The way it works is, I invest $10 in a stock that goes up to be worth $20. I can donate that $20 stock certificate to a charity. I can claim the donation tax receipt of $20 and the $10 capital gain I made is not taxed. We both come out ahead. This can mean a significant amount of money for people who have assets tied up in capital gains on their stock investment. It makes their money go a lot further than selling the stock and then donating the cash after the capital gains tax is deducted.”

Dick encourages people interested in donating shares to the SSRH redevelopment fundraising to talk to their financial planner and then to the Health Services Foundation.

“This redevelopment is a great project. I’m most excited about having access to an MRI facility and a SPECT-CT scanner, as they are new pieces of technology that will be available to residents of the South Shore. Who doesn’t want this kind of technology in our regional hospital?”

The Health Services Foundation of the South Shore is very excited and committed to raising $6.6-million in support of the South Shore Regional Hospital Redevelopment Project. It will have more news to share on its volunteer-led fundraising effort in the coming months.

Media contact:

Alison Clements

Manager, Strategic Engagement

Health Services Foundation of the South Shore   

902-521-9522

A SPECT-CT will soon be available to patients of South Shore Regional Hospital.

The Health Services Foundation of the South Shore has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Nova Scotia Health to raise an additional $900,000 in support of the SPECT-CT scanner as part of its fundraising efforts for the South Shore Regional Hospital Redevelopment Project.

The addition of this new technology will increase the Foundation’s fundraising goal to $6.6-million.

A SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography)-CT is a form of nuclear medicine that combines the x-ray images of a traditional CT-scan with a 3D gamma radiation-camera, to give a 360-degree scan of a patient. This type of nuclear medicine is an important diagnostic tool for oncology (cancer), cardiology (heart), nephrology/urology (kidney), respirology (lung) and a wide range of other specialties including sports medicine and surgery.

Dr. Chen Meng, a Radiologist at South Shore Regional Hospital, says this will result in major improvements when analyzing a patient’s medical issues and needs.

“A SPECT-CT adds the benefit of a CT-scanner to a nuclear medicine scanner. For example, this will prove to be a significant improvement in care for cancer patients waiting for their diagnosis, particularly during this pandemic era where long wait times for diagnostic imaging tests are already impacting patients. A SPECT-CT will improve efficiency, decrease CT-scan wait times by freeing up our current CT-scanner, and provide a secondary backup CT scanner for when our primary machine is down for repair (for emergency cases). It will bring South Shore Regional Hospital to the same standard of care the rest of province and country experiences.”

Foundation Brighter Days Campaign Co-Chairs David Himmelman and Tim O’Regan are confident the new fundraising goal will be achievable, especially where this will be the only SPECT-CT scanner on the South Shore.

“Our early fundraising efforts for the redevelopment project are going well” says O’Regan. “The point of this project is to bring a higher level of health care efficiency to the South Shore. Our fundraising volunteers are excited to be able to bring this new technology to South Shore Regional as another way of keeping our hospital equipped with the most modern technology possible.”

Himmelman echoes those thoughts. “We learned of the high need for a SPECT-CT at South Shore Regional and were excited to help. We recognize it’s important to have the best equipment to retain and attract the best doctors to the South Shore. With the help of our generous community, we are aiming to get the new technology in the hands of our local diagnostic health care professionals as soon as possible.”

Health Services Foundation Board Chair Nick Saunders is very thankful the Brighter Days’ fundraising committee is tackling this important health care initiative.

“The addition of a state-of-the-art SPECT-CT scanner at South Shore Regional is an amazing accompaniment to the already wonderful project taking place at that site. Having these services available in our community will allow our wonderful South Shore medical staff to meet the ever-increasing needs of our residents as Lunenburg County continues on a growth trajectory. The Foundation’s Brighter Days fundraising team is ambitious and committed to making local health care the best it can be to serve our friends and neighbours.”

Nuclear medicine is performed in nine hospitals across Nova Scotia. As of 2022, South Shore Regional Hospital is one of only two hospitals without local access to a SPECT-CT scanner in the province.

The Health Services Foundation of the South Shore and its Brighter Days fundraising cabinet are very excited and committed to raising $6.6-million in support of the South Shore Regional Hospital Redevelopment Project. It will have more news to share on its volunteer-led fundraising effort in the coming months.

“Without our employees, none of this would be possible.”

South Shore Ready Mix Owner Lloyd Bonang and his team have committed $250,000 to the Health Services Foundation of the South Shore’s fundraising efforts for the South Shore Regional Hospital Redevelopment Project.

The project will see the regional hospital (which provides health care to those from Hubbards to Shelburne) grow by nearly 30%, with the expansion of its Emergency, Day Surgery and Endoscopy Departments and the additions of renal dialysis and MRI services.

Mr. Bonang decided to make the gift as he believes a larger hospital is just what the South Shore needs.

“The area is growing – you only need to drive around to see how many apartment buildings are going up. Bridgewater and Lunenburg County are now go-to places for people across the country.”

A stroke of luck and a business idea brought Mr. Bonang to Bridgewater in 1965, where he would open South Shore Ready Mix in 1966. He knows how much South Shore Regional means to the South Shore Ready Mix team.

“We have between 70 and 80 employees, and they have partners and children who need medical services. Plus having a larger hospital with more services is a drawing card while trying to hire people.”

“I think most people understand that we need to grow our hospital. We need more access to dialysis and MRI services. We need more beds. We need more space to move people through the Emergency Department quicker. I think this will help attract more doctors. People ask why we are building a bigger hospital if we don’t have doctors. Well, the doctors are going to come if we have a facility that is efficient with new technology and equipment. This hospital redevelopment will give our area an advantage.”

The Health Services Foundation of the South Shore is very excited and committed to raising $5.6-million in support of the South Shore Regional Hospital Redevelopment Project. It will have more news to share on its volunteer-led fundraising effort in the coming months.

Media contact:

Alison Clements

Manager, Strategic Engagement

Health Services Foundation of the South Shore   

902-521-9522

The South Shore Bursary Program has hit a million-dollar milestone.

As the bursary program enters its 16^th year, the charities and community members (behind the program) which invests in future health care professionals have announced they have officially raised $1,096,303 for the program.

The Health Services Foundation of the South Shore is one of the four charities involved in the bursary program. Its Executive Director, Arleen Stevens says it’s a no-brainer to continue supporting the South Shore Bursary Program, nearly two decades in. “Making the decision to pursue a career in health care is a bold and selfless move. A move that the South Shore Bursary Program and our donors want to support.”

In the bursary’s 15 years it has helped 116 South Shore residents finance their education in a health-related field. Of the 116 bursary recipients, 85 trained to become Registered Nurses (RNs), 26 became certified Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), and one trained to be a doctor and is currently practicing in Lunenburg.

On top of investing in the futures of those in our community, the bursary has a return-for-service agreement ensuring all recipients come back and return a year of service at a South Shore hospital for each year they received financial support.

Applications are now being accepted for the 2022 South Shore Bursary Program. The deadline for submissions is May 13, 2022. The application link can be found on the Health Services Foundation’s website.

Since 2006, the South Shore Health Bursary has invested nearly $550,000 into the future of health care professionals in both Lunenburg & Queens Counties. The bursary is a proud partnership of the Health Services Foundation of the South Shore, the South Shore Regional Hospital Auxiliary, the Fishermen’s Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, the Queens General Hospital Foundation and a committed supporter in the community.

As physician recruitment and retention continues to be a hot-button issue, the Health Services Foundation of the South Shore is set to tackle the local doctor shortage crisis head on. 

Members of the Foundation’s Board of Directors and Community Leaders have come together to form the charity’s first-ever Physician Recruitment Committee.

For the past two years, the Health Services Foundation had funded NOW Lunenburg County’s physician recruitment work but Foundation Board Chair Nick Saunders knows the organization is now ready to work with health care and community leaders to address the need for more doctors.

“Traditionally, the Foundation has purchased equipment for its supported sites, however, the spectrum of work has now shifted. Being able to build on the great work that NOW Lunenburg County has done will allow the committee, established by the Health Services Foundation to focus 100% on physician recruitment.”

“I am extremely proud of the work and objectives already accomplished by the group of individuals that have assembled to push the project forward. With the Lunenburg County population growing at a feverish pace this is going to become even more critical. I can’t wait to begin to the see the results of the work ahead.”

The Foundation’s Physician Recruitment Committee is supported by provincial efforts out of the newly formed Department of Physician Recruitment. It has also begun engagement with successful organizations across the country as well as local physicians to see what the needs and hurdles of enticing doctors to the South Shore area.

Committee members include:

Mildred Moyer (Committee Chair)

Alison Clements

Emmi Fraser

Gretchen Gerhardt

Pam Kennedy

Dr. Heather Robertson

Nick Saunders (Board Chair)

Marta Selassie

Arleen Stevens

Janice Tanner-Ernst (Board Vice-Chair)

Dr. Sarah Tennant

The Health Services Foundation of the South Shore supports South Shore Regional Hospital, Fishermen’s Memorial Hospital and associated sites within Lunenburg County by raising funds for enhanced health care.