Nurse Practitioner Stacy MacDonald (middle) leads Aberdeen Hospital’s Rapid Assessment Zone (RAZ) alongside Licensed Practical Nurse Candace Brown (left) and Unit Aide Druhan Dunn (right). Since opening in May 2024, RAZ has cared for 31% of emergency patients during service hours, averaging 2.5 patients per hour. Plans are underway to expand RAZ services to seven days a week.
Reducing Wait Times with the Rapid Assessment Zone (RAZ)
“It’s amazing to see the huge decrease in the number of patients who leave without being seen,” says Stacy MacDonald, Aberdeen’s first Nurse Practitioner in the emergency department. The RAZ has streamlined triage and treatment, reducing delays and improving patient satisfaction.
The RAZ also provides follow-up care. “I can bring patients back in a couple of days for a re-check, so they don’t have to wait again,” says MacDonald. She also coordinates with the Ambulatory Treatment Clinic for patients requiring IV antibiotics and wound care, reducing repeat ED visits.
“This year’s commitments reflect the heart of what we do,” says Lisa MacDonald, Board Chair. “By addressing immediate needs and investing in long-term solutions, we are building a healthier, more connected community.”
The RAZ has already made a significant impact, helping patients receive care faster while easing pressure on the ED.
Creating the Conditions for Health
The heart of our work is community. Every investment we make supports the health and well-being of the people who live here. Your generosity strengthens health care in Pictou County by expanding access, driving innovation, and ensuring care is available when it’s needed most. Because when we invest in health, we invest in each other.
Health care is more than hospitals and technology – It’s about impact. It’s the new Masimo system, ensuring newborns who need round-the-clock monitoring can stay at our hospital instead of being transferred to distant centers. It’s the Pictou County Palliative Care Society volunteer program, helping palliative patients spend their final days at home, surrounded by loved ones. It’s the Surf Smart sessions, bridging the knowledge gap between parents and teens navigating social media. These donor-driven investments are changing lives in real and lasting ways.
On behalf of the Aberdeen Health Foundation, thank you. Together, we are strengthening health care and building a healthier future for Pictou County.
Sincerely, Lisa MacDonald, Chair, Aberdeen Health Foundation
2025 Board of Directors
Vacant, Past Chair
Heather MacDonald, Vice Chair
Kim Livingston, Treasurer
Marsha Sobey, Secretary
Kimberly Byrne
Dr. Patricia Craig
Marcel Deveau
Ashley Harrison
Clinton Keay
Stephen Leslie
Donald MacGillivray
Harry Munro
Dr. Chakshu Sharma
Ryan Sharpe
Heidi Sinclair
Frank Sobey
A Year of Impact, A Future of Possibility
Every year, I am reminded of the remarkable generosity and commitment of our community. Because of you, the Aberdeen Health Foundation is not just funding health care, it is transforming it.
Looking back on 2024, I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together. We have invested in innovative solutions, strengthened partnerships, and supported programs that make health care more accessible and responsive to community needs. Every initiative we support reflects our belief that health care is about more than treatment. It’s about ensuring people feel supported and valued at every stage of life.
This vision is coming to life through the many initiatives we’ve supported. Like the hospital’s new Palliative Navigator, who will support families by providing continuity of care throughout the palliative journey and connecting them to resources, whether in the hospital or the community. And the Sutherland Harris Memorial Hospital Renal Dialysis Expansion that will triple capacity, allowing more patients to receive life-sustaining treatment close to home. These projects, and so many others, are only possible because of you. Whether you have volunteered, shared our stories, or given financially, you are helping us shape a future that puts health at the centre of our community.
With gratitude, Michelle Ferris, Executive Director, Aberdeen Health Foundation
Mary Ali, PEP Participant
PEP Wraps Up with Positive Results
“It’s not just about eating healthy or doing exercises, it’s your mental health, your approach, your perception. How is it that you show up every day in the world, and how is it benefiting you? How’s it benefiting those around you?” said Mary Ali, a participant in the Pictou County Personal Empowerment Program (PEP). “No matter where you were in your health journey entering the program, we were all working toward something better, and it was really nice to have that support and guidance.”
The six-month program, which helped 172 participants manage chronic illness through a holistic approach, delivered impressive results. Psychological distress dropped by 53%, sleep improved, and participants adopted healthier diets and more active lifestyles. On average, they lost seven pounds and reported lower anxiety and hypertension symptoms.
From One Resource to Many
The Mental Wellness and Resilience Toolkit, developed by the Pictou County Mental Wellness Roundtable with Aberdeen Health Foundation support, has inspired multiple programs to improve mental well-being.
Investing in Women’s and Children’s Care
Through strategic investments in maternal and newborn health, the Aberdeen Health Foundation is ensuring families in Pictou County receive high-quality care close to home.
A new bladder scanner in the Women & Children’s Unit, funded by a grant from the Sandra Schmirler Foundation, is improving early detection of urinary retention and reducing the need for unnecessary catheterization. “Before, we had to borrow a scanner from another unit, ys,” says Shawna Chenell, Health Services Manager. “Now, having our own makes it easier to provide timely, routine care.”
The Heart of a Hospital is its People
His wife Darlene’s memories of the hospital are just as profound. Over the years, the family has supported loved ones through various treatments, some lifesaving and others in their final days. She remembers the Palliative Care Unit as a place of exceptional comfort. “It was ahead of its time, creating a space where patients and families could feel at ease,” she says. “Even hospitals in larger cities lacked the warmth and dignity that Aberdeen Hospital provided.” The Aberdeen Health Foundation has continued to invest in making the unit as peaceful as possible, ensuring that families facing difficult moments receive the support they need.
John and Darlene recognize the work of the Foundation as making a real difference. “You can see where the money is going,” John says. “It’s not just about the new equipment, but also training and programs that strengthen the quality and accessibility of care.”
Their personal experiences with the hospital and trust in the Foundation led the Reeves to become monthly donors in 2018. In the years since, they’ve stayed humble about their impact, but their generosity speaks to something greater: the power of community. The warmth John and Darlene have experienced over the years was not just from the people in the room, but from a hospital shaped by the generosity of those who give, ensuring that care, comfort, and connection remain at its heart.
John and Darlene Reeves
Launch of the Pictou County Community Health Centre
The new Pictou County Community Health Centre (CHC) is providing flexible and accessible health services tailored to local needs. The Centre is strategically located near the food bank and pharmacy in Pictou, making it easily accessible to residents.
“The CHC isn’t just about providing access to health care,” says Susan MacConnell, Executive Director. “It’s about creating a place where everyone feels supported and empowered, especially those left out by the traditional system.”
The vision for the Centre began in 2018, when a group of dedicated community leaders came together to address gaps in local health care. They envisioned a more holistic approach to primary health care, moving beyond simply treating illness to considering all aspects of a person’s well-being. With support from the Aberdeen Health Foundation, they developed a business plan and got to work turning their vision into reality.
Now open, the Centre is staffed by a Community Health Worker and Program Developer, with additional support from Virtual Care @ Your Library, ensuring individuals without a primary care provider can conveniently access virtual medical consultations. In addition to helping residents connect to care, services include navigating social supports and addressing broader health challenges like food security and mental health.
“This Centre belongs to the people of Pictou County,” says Anne Simmonds, CHC Board Chair. “We’re here to listen and respond.”
And this is just the beginning. In 2025, CHC services will expand to the new Integrated Youth Services site in New Glasgow, further increasing access to care.
Susan MacConnell (left), CHC Executive Director and Anne Simmonds (right), CHC Board Chair
Investing in Skills to Strengthen Local Care
Investments in continuing education are helping to advance both the quality of and access to health care in Pictou County, ensuring more patients can receive expert care closer to home.
Registered Nurse Rylee MacDonald recently completed certification in pediatric chemotherapy and biotherapy, allowing young cancer patients to access certain treatments at Aberdeen Hospital instead of traveling to Halifax. This reduces financial and logistical burdens on families while keeping children connected to their support systems.
Steven Marenick, a Registered Nurse, is now specializing in wound, ostomy, and continence care since completing an intensive certification program with support from the Foundation. His expertise is helping patients with complex, long-term conditions receive timely and consistent care through a dedicated single point of contact without unnecessary referrals.
Emergency department staff at Aberdeen Hospital received funding to bring the Nova Scotia Provincial Trauma Course on-site, allowing the entire team to participate in hands-on training focused on trauma resuscitation, team communication, and rural trauma care challenges.
By equipping health professionals with advanced skills, the Foundation is improving patient outcomes and ensuring more people in Pictou County receive high-quality, specialized care when and where they need it.
Rylee MacDonald, RN and Steven Marenick, RN
Suzanne Munro-MacLean, RN (left) and Shawna Chenell, Health Services Manager (right) display the new patient monitoring technology at Aberdeen Hospital.
Advancing Patient Monitoring with Masimo Technology
Timely intervention is critical for patient care, and thanks to an investment in Masimo monitoring technology, Aberdeen Hospital has enhanced patient safety across multiple units. The Masimo Patient SafetyNet allows for continuous, non-invasive monitoring, helping clinicians detect early signs of deterioration before a crisis occurs.
The Women & Children’s Unit now has centralized monitoring for up to ten patients at once, improving care for newborns and pediatric patients with respiratory concerns. In the Surgical Inpatient Unit, 14 beds are now equipped with this technology, ensuring safer post-operative monitoring, especially for patients with sleep apnea or those on medications that impact breathing.
Beyond individual units, this technology is also helping the hospital manage capacity across departments. Because patients can be monitored across units, clinicians have greater flexibility in responding to surges and reallocating beds as needed.
“This system has already made a difference for our teams and our patients,” says Shawna Chenell, Health Services Manager. “The ability to monitor multiple patients in real time means we can provide better care while also improving efficiency on our units.”
2024 Funding Commitments
| Capital Projects & Medical Equipment | |
| Digital Mammography (Diagnostic Imaging) | $750,000 |
| Renal Dialysis Expansion | $600,000 |
| Optical Coherence Tomography (Opthalmology) | $241,195 |
| Pneumatic Tourniquet (x3) (Surgery) | $61,600 |
| Various Equipment (Women & Children) | $72,095 |
| Glidescope and Pressure Infuser (ER) | $46,345 |
| Gyne Hysteroscope (x7) (Surgery) | $95,000 |
| Rapid Assessment Zone (ER) | $44,400 |
| Various Equipment (Ambulatory Treatment Clinic) | $46,075 |
| ECG and Blanket Warming Cabinets (Medical Inpatients) | $23,715 |
| Audio Visual Equipment (Primary Care Clinics x2) | $25,000 |
| Medical Equipment for Various Departments | $16,366 |
| Capital Projects & Medical Equipment Sub-total | $1,926,791 |
| Community Health Centre & Health Equity Initiatives | $215,380 |
| FORBOW & Other Mental Health Programs | $163,044 |
| VON Equipment & Technology Enhancements | $138,000 |
| Oncology Patient Fund, Healing Garden & Other Health Programs | $136,000 |
| Medical Professional Recruitment | $50,000 |
| Palliative Care Society In-home Volunteer Program |
$40,000 |
| Continuing Education | $33,525 |
| Grand Total | $2,702,740 |
Aberdeen Health Foundation leaders, from left to right: Lisa MacDonald, Board Chair; Dr. Pat Craig, Population Health Committee Chair; Marsha Sobey, Capital Acquisitions Committee Co-Chair; Jennifer Sutherland with Nova Scotia Health, Aberdeen Hospital Site Lead; and Michelle Ferris, Executive Director.
Record-Breaking Support
In 2024, the Aberdeen Health Foundation committed over $2.7 million to improving health care in Pictou County. This record-breaking investment focuses on increasing access, supporting innovation, and strengthening community health initiatives. By funding critical medical equipment, expanding essential services, and addressing barriers to care, the Foundation is ensuring that patients receive timely, high-quality support.
Key initiatives this year include expanding renal dialysis services, improving health care access with the Pictou County Community Health Centre, and investing in digital mammography technology to improve early breast cancer detection. The Foundation has also supported programs like the Pictou County Palliative Care Society’s In-Home Volunteer Program and Public Health’s Transportation Support Program, which helps patients access essential treatments. In addition, funding has strengthened primary care, emergency services, and community organizations that support health and well-being.
Annual General Meeting
Your community. Your impact.
This year marked our biggest investment in health care yet, driving real change and better care for those who need it most. Join us as we celebrate the power of community and the difference we’re making, together.
March 27, 2025 @ 6:30 pm, Summer Street Industries
or online: aberdeenhealthfoundation.ca/AGM2025
In the event of inclement weather, the meeting will be held online only.
