Advice to help you live your healthiest life, covering fitness, nutrition, mental health, self-care and much more.
Jan 13, 2016
Nova Scotia’s doctors work hard for their patients – and their patients notice. Almost 300 people from across the province have left testimonials about their physicians on our Story Map.
Here are just some of the reasons Nova Scotians love their doctors.
Nova Scotia’s doctors work hard to provide care for their patients – often from cradle to grave. They’re at the hospital for rounds first thing in the morning, they see patients all day long, and they take call shifts on evenings and weekends.
“When I had major surgery, I learned my doctor, Dr. Merle McMillan, wasn’t required to attend to me in the hospital. Nevertheless, she came to look in on me every second day. She held my hand and told me I was doing well. Her kindness moved me and her thoughtfulness helped me through the difficult days.” – Odette Nickerson
It’s important to Nova Scotia’s doctors that patients get the health-care they need, when and where they need it. They’re there for their patients in the office, the walk-in clinic and the hospital, but many of them also do house calls and use technology such as TeleHealth, which allows for long-distance consultations without travel.
“Dr. Andrea MacDonald has gone above and beyond to provide health care to our family. I have even received personal calls with test results late on a Friday evening because she knew we were concerned! She has tirelessly given her time, an attentive ear, and her compassion no matter how large or small our family’s issues have been.” – Carvell Fenton
Whether they’re building collaborative care practices or building apps, re-imagining the way that physicians provide care in nursing homes or working to find solutions to opioid abuse, Nova Scotia’s doctors are invested in finding innovative ways to provide care for their patients.
Nova Scotia is home to some of Canada’s foremost medical experts. These doctors never stop pushing the borders of knowledge – and many of them pass that knowledge along to medical students and residents as teachers at Dal Med School.
“Dr. Simon Walling is an outstanding professional, compassionate and skilled neurosurgeon at the QEII Health Care Center in Halifax. Dr. Walling and his incredible team of doctors and nurses, performed a 20-hour surgery to remove a tumour that was situated between the right and left frontal lobes of my brain.” – C. Meuse
Nova Scotia’s doctors fight tirelessly to get their patients the care they need – whether that means ensuring access, arranging for tests or helping patients get the outpatient support they need (such as home care, palliative care, respite care, or occupational or physical therapy).
“Dr. Deshwal embodies everything that any doctor should strive to be, knowledgeable and thorough. She takes the time to listen to your concerns and address them in clear and concise manner. She is clearly well versed in a variety of different treatments, which she takes the time to explain and aids in your decision on what is right for you.” – Laura Gibson
Many of our members are community builders and advocates for healthy living. By getting involved in projects such as Kids’ Run Club, Walk in Our Shoes or the revival of Keppoch Mountain, physicians show their commitment to building an active, healthy, connected Nova Scotia.
“After years of treating the First Nations people of Eskasoni, Dr. Mohan Virick has donated 140 hectares of land to the band, plus he has also donated a building on George Street in Sydney to be used for health-care purposes. He is a well-respected doctor.” – Reg Adrian
It’s not unusual for doctors in Nova Scotia to care for multiple generations of the same family – and to go above and beyond in that care, making themselves available to their patients for births, end-of-life care and everything in between.
“I have been seeing the same doctor for 41 years. He is amazing. He always makes time for me no matter how busy he is. My son was three weeks old when we moved here and he will be 41 in September. I needed a doctor right away at that time and young Dr. Gordon Mahaney took me under his wing. All these years later I am so glad he did.” – Donna Marie Hayes
