The Changing Face of Healthcare Authorities in Nova Scotia:
perspectives and strategies for the health sciences libraries
Gayle Graham BSc (Hons), MLIS
Peggy McEachreon BA, MA, MLIS
Outline
Nova Scotia Dual Health Authorities
Why the change?
What is the vision?
NS Hospital Libraries
How do the changes affect all of the hospital libraries?
Overview, challenges and future outlook on our individual projects
Why merge?
Throne speech pledge by Premier Stephen McNeil on behalf
of the Liberal government to reduce “the number of health
Authorities from ten to two” in September of 2014 (The Canadian Press, 2014).
Health merger legislation passed in October of 2014 (Doucette, 2014).
May 2014
– service
agreement
signed
Oct. 2013 McNeil
government
assumes
office
Apr. 2014 –
Consolidated
Library
Services
Proposal
Sept. 2014
- Throne
speech
Oct. 2014 –
legislation
is passed
Apr. 2015
- merge
June 2015
– present
at APLA
Jan. 2015 –
Gayle and
Peggy start
new jobs!
Birth of the Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA)
Officially on April 1, 2015, nine of Nova Scotia’s District
Health Authorities were consolidated into one. The IWK is the
second provincial health authority. (“Nova Scotia,” 2015)
The NSHA Mission and Vision
“Working together to achieve excellence in health, healing and learning.”
(NSHA, 2015, slide 3).
“plan provincially, implement locally”
(NSHA, 2015, slide 2).
“Healthy people, healthy communities –
for generations.” (NSHA, 2015, slide 4).
The NSHA Logo
The “visual identity inspired by the powerful waves of the Atlantic Ocean”
(NSHA , 2015, slide 7).
“Signifies the momentum and strength we have to shift the conversation about health”
(NSHA, 2015, slide 7).
“Just as each ocean wave impacts the shape of our coast, the collective effort of
individuals and communities will impact the health of our province and our people”
(NSHA, 2015, slide 7).
NSHA Leadership Model
LEADS in a Caring Environment
• Lead Self – self-motivating leaders
• Engage Others – engaging leaders
• Achieve Results – goal-oriented leaders
• Develop Coalitions – collaborative leaders
• Systems Transformation – successful leaders
(NSHA , 2015, slide 8) .
NS Health Care Delivery Sector:
Consolidated Library Services Proposal
(Stark, Logan, & Chapman, 2014)
-
-
An evidence-based proposal:
-
Study funded by The Academic Health Council to examine the business case and
develop a plan for a Nova Scotia Virtual Health Library (NS VHL) (p3)
-
“Providing self-service access to electronic information resources is the most
efficient approach to meeting the demand for health information.” (p8)
To address inequities “in the availability of information resources
and services” for health professionals (p4)
-
“acquisition and licensing, reference, training and literature searching, document
location and delivery, [and] library services for patients” including patient
education pamphlets, “are currently available only for IWK, Capital Health and the
Tri-DHA employees” (p4)
-
“Remote access – only Capital Health [now Central Zone] provides this service”
(p6)
-
“the remaining three DHAs have no service at all.” (p4)
Benefits
of the Consolidated Library Services Proposal
-
cost-savings on e-journal subscriptions: “content is bundled so that
individual journal subscriptions cannot be cancelled, forcing the
buyer to pay for unwanted content” (p6)
-
centralized management of information resources will reduce
“unnecessary duplication or too-restrictive access to rights” (p6)
-
a “single library website” (p9)
-
“one catalogue” (p7)
-
“standard offsite/remote access to core resources for all [NSHA &
IWK] health professionals” (p9)
-
virtual services “via online chat, email and telephone.” (p9)
Service Agreement Highlights
The agreement specifies province-wide collaboration on:
• Shared subscriptions of e-resources
• Remote access
• Funding salaries of 2 additional employees whose activities will
support all DHAs
Service Agreement Highlights (continued)
• No change to existing library facilities, staff, or current subscriptions.
• Collections will remain in their current locations.
• Library services will be coordinated by a Steering Committee, who
will:
o Regularly consult with library staff across all DHAs
o Report to the CEOs of the DHAs
• Capital Health will pay the costs of provincial library services and
invoice each DHA for their share at the end of the fiscal year.
Our Library Clients at a Glance
Employees: (unionized and non-unionized): 23,400+
Physicians: (1,292 specialists 1,194 family physicians) 2,486
Medical Residents: 500+
Learners: 5,500+
Volunteers: 7,000+
Community Health Boards: 37
(NSHA, 2015, slide 9)
And patients and families…
NSHA Current Facts and Statistics
• 45 health services facilities
• A budget of more than $1.9 billion
• More than 1,200 active research projects underway
(NSHA, n.d.).
• Specialty multi-site hospital complex (QEII Health Sciences Centre): 1
• Regional Hospitals: 9
• Community and other locations: 35
(NSHA, 2015, slide 10).
Shared Catalogue Project
Strategy
• Consult with all districts
• Reach initial agreements where possible and/or urgent
• Start discussions across the province about ongoing/long-term
considerations for a province-wide service
• Collect catalogue records from all areas, begin database-building
• Consult with local staff and vendors to conceptualize possibilities and
best practices for a user-friendly provincial catalogue
• Consult with hospital library staff outside the province who have
completed similar projects
Collections:
(Horizon Health Network, n.d.)
Challenges
• Coordinating schedules
• Making contact with appropriate staff in regions without library
service
• Obtaining catalogue records
• Communicating with vendor Andornot in Vancouver
Achievements to date
• One face-to-face meeting with representatives from most areas.
o Decisions made; discussions started
• Received catalogue records from most locations
• Brainstormed provincially and locally re: ideal look and functioning of
catalogue
• Consulted with vendor about possibilities and pricing
Electronic Access
(P. Logan, personal comunication,
March 10, 2015).
Remote Access Project
Goal: equity
-
Every location will have the same level of service as the former
Capital Health District Authority (CDHA)
-
Easy access to library e-resources when not on a networked device
-
Former CDHA uses EZproxy and Active Directory log-ins
Strategy
1. Research/self-education
- What is EZproxy? Is it our only choice? Is it our best choice?
- Consult with colleagues, IT personnel, vendor (sales and Sr.
Product Manager), supervisor, do a literature search, etc.
2. Organization
- Identify allies
- Make decisions based on available evidence and circumstances
Strategy (continued)
3. Implementation
- S.M.A.R.T. goals
(Szeto & Dobson, 2015)
- e.g., upgrading EZproxy functionality at former CDHA
4. Reflect, debrief, and celebrate!
- What was learned?
5. Lather, rinse, repeat process(es),
always moving closer to end goal
Challenges  Opportunities?
-
State of flux during transition period
-
Communicating via email (misunderstandings, lack of response,
‘nagging’, etc.)
-
Identifying contacts and team
members
-
Relationship building
-
Learning curve as a ‘newbie’
Achievements to date
-
Identifying resources/allies (EZproxy list-serve, IT contacts,
OCLC contacts, etc.)
-
Growth of personal knowledge base re: EZproxy (e.g.,
config.txt file)
-
Failed first attempt to upgrade Central Zone EZproxy to
leverage full capabilities
-
Successful second attempt to upgrade = improved our
catalogue
Future Outlook
“Nobody’s gonna slow me down, oh no, I’ve got to keep on movin’…”
Shared catalogue:
•
Ongoing developments and record cleanup in consultation with all districts.
•
Establish protocol for centralized cataloguing/services, keeping track of record
deletions
•
Potential partnership with Novanet and amalgamation of hospital library
catalogues across the Maritimes
EZproxy:
•
Proposal for provincial implementation project awaiting approval
•
Purchase licenses, oversee installation, troubleshoot
•
Develop and deliver staff training throughout the province
References
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Doucette, K (2014, Oct. 3). Nova Scotia legislature passes contentious health merger legislation. The Canadian Press.
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Horizon Health Network (n.d.). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders : DSM-5 (DSM V) [catalogue
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LEADS Framework & Tools (2015). CHLNet. Retrieved from:
http://chlnet.ca/tools-resources/leads-framework
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Peggy McEachreon, BA, MA, MLIS
peggy.mceachreon@nshealth.ca
Gayle Graham, BSc (Hons), MLIS
gayle.graham@nshealth.ca