Prab Gill, Chief Clinical Information Officer, Clinical Informatics, PHSA

On Thursday, June 18, 2026, members of the CHIEF Executive Forum had the privilege of gaining an inside look at Nova Scotia Health’s transformation journey. This year’s visit included a tour of the Nova Scotia Health Innovation Hub, followed by an immersive experience at the Nova Scotia Health Performance & Provincial Care Coordination Centre (C3).
Together, these visits offered an invigorating and inspiring opportunity to witness innovation and operational excellence in action.

Nova Scotia Health Innovation Hub

Our visit to the Innovation Hub provided a closer look at how Nova Scotia Health is intentionally fostering a culture of innovation across the system. We observed the coordinated intake of innovative ideas from clinicians, staff, and vendor partners, and the structured, collaborative evaluation process that ensures each idea is assessed for feasibility, impact, and alignment with system priorities.

What stood out was the deliberate balance between creativity and discipline—innovation is not left to chance but is supported by clear governance oversight, rigorous evaluation, and a commitment to scaling solutions that improve patient care and system performance. The Hub exemplifies how health systems can move beyond isolated pilots toward sustainable, system-wide transformation.

Nova Scotia Health Performance & Provincial Care Coordination Centre (C3)

The visit to the C3 was equally compelling. The main highlight of the visit was the centralized command centre. C3 demonstrates how real-time data, predictive analytics, and coordinated decision-making can transform health system operations.

We saw firsthand how teams monitor patient flow, capacity, and demand across the province, enabling proactive interventions to reduce bottlenecks, improve access, and optimize resource utilization. The integration of data with clinical and operational expertise allows for timely, informed decisions that directly impact patient outcomes and system efficiency.

What was particularly impressive was the level of coordination across care settings, creating a truly provincial approach to care delivery.

We heard about a patient care story where a patient with hip fracture was thoughtfully transferred to a care facility with coordination from the care teams, to ensure the patient could receive the surgery within 48 hours.

The focus on situational awareness, transparency, and shared accountability serves as a powerful model for other jurisdictions working to improve access and flow.

Reflections

These visits reinforced a number of key insights. First, transformation at scale requires both visionary leadership and disciplined execution. Second, meaningful innovation is grounded in collaboration—bringing together ministry of health and health sector senior leaders, clinicians, operational leaders, and system partners. And finally, data-driven decision-making is essential to achieving sustained improvements in access, quality, and efficiency.

Nova Scotia Health’s approach offers valuable lessons for all of us working to advance health system transformation. Their commitment to embedding innovation into everyday practice, coupled with a strong operational backbone, is helping to drive measurable impact across the province.

It was a privilege to learn from their journey and to reflect on how these approaches might inform and accelerate our own efforts.

Thank you, Digital Health Canada, for such an immersive experience. I am looking forward to our next CHIEF Executive Forum already!