Our purpose
Helping physicians to thrive and have a positive impact on their patients’ lives, at an individual and system level.
How DNS achieves its purpose
Doctors Nova Scotia (DNS) is the collective voice of physicians in Nova Scotia. On behalf of the province’s doctors, the association is committed to working with all partners in health-care delivery to ensure Nova Scotia is positioned to recruit and retain talented and skilled doctors, introduce new and innovative ways to deliver health care, and to continuously look for ways to improve patient care and access.
To serve our members, DNS:
- Negotiates physician remuneration with the provincial government
- Acts as the medical profession’s united voice on health-care issues that affect physicians and their patients to the public, health-care stakeholders and the government
- Influences and supports the development of health-care policies
- Offers programs and services to support physicians throughout their career
- Offers a comprehensive package of member benefits and services
Strategic direction
Doctors Nova Scotia is governed by its Board of Directors, a group of physicians that provides the association with its overall strategic direction.
Doctors Nova Scotia’s 2021–27 Strategic Plan calls on the association to:
- Connect and engage physicians
- Advocate on behalf of physicians
- Serve physicians by providing effective member benefits and services
To represent our members, DNS:
- Negotiates physician remuneration with the provincial government
- Acts as the medical profession’s united voice on health-care issues that affect physicians and their patients to the public, health-care stakeholders and the government
- Influences and supports the development of health-care policies
- Offers programs and services to support physicians throughout their career
- Offers a comprehensive package of member benefits and services
Our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion in health care
Doctors Nova Scotia sits on and operates in Mi’kma’ki, the traditional and unceded territories of the Mi’kmaq. At DNS we honour and respect the Indigenous peoples of this land. We are all Treaty People. We also know that we have much more to learn and to do to embrace the Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, especially those related to health care.
Doctors Nova Scotia also acknowledges that African Nova Scotian history goes back more than 400 years. African Nova Scotians have also experienced systemic racism, oppression and colonialization, the consequences of which continue to reverberate today.
Racism against Black and Indigenous people and people of colour is a serious problem in health care, for both patients and providers. Racism is a public health issue, and people who experience racism report receiving poorer health care and ultimate have poorer health outcomes.
Racism in health care is also experienced by health-care providers, including physicians, who are Black, Indigenous or people of colour. One major concern is that health-care institutions are largely governed by white people, even though health-care systems and practices rely on the labour of health-care providers, support staff and researchers who are Black, Indigenous or people of colour.
Doctors Nova Scotia is committed to addressing health inequities in the province’s health-care system by working with the Indigenous and African Nova Scotian leaders, the medical community, physicians and system partners to disrupt systemic racism, decolonize the health‐care system and improve the health‐care experiences of Black, Indigenous and people of colour in Nova Scotia. We are all Treaty people. This work will continue to evolve, but has already begun with the following:
- Equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) are now a cornerstone of the association’s 2021–27 Strategic Plan. A comprehensive EDI framework has been created to support this work.
- Doctors Nova Scotia has included equity, diversity and inclusion training for physicians at the association’s last two annual conferences (2020, 2021), as well as facilitating training sessions for Board and staff members.
- Doctors Nova Scotia members have formed the Section of Physicians for Indigenous Health, a forum where physicians can share knowledge, experience and training in the unique health challenges faced by Indigenous populations, cultural safety issues and the social determinants of health.
- Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: A toolkit for Doctors Nova Scotia members, Board of Directors and staff
Looking for a family doctor?
A common misunderstanding is that Doctors Nova Scotia can help patients find a family doctor. It is not the mandate of Doctors Nova Scotia to connect patients with family doctors. This is the role of the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness (DHW) and Nova Scotia Health.
Individuals and families without a family doctor are encouraged to register with the Need a Family Practice registry or contact the DHW for assistance in finding a family doctor who is accepting new patients.
No disciplinary powers
Doctors Nova Scotia doesn’t have disciplinary powers over doctors. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia is the professional body responsible for licensing doctors and regulating the province’s medical profession.