Congratulations and Happy Retirement!
Congratulations to Dr. Victoria Allen on her retirement. Throughout her career Dr. Allen has been a staunch supporter of regionalized perinatal care. The concept of clinical excellence at all levels/tiers of service, and a network of well-integrated clinical care and supports, has been embraced and nurtured in Nova Scotia for decades. Both Dr. Victoria Allen and her late father, the eminent neonatologist Dr. Alexander Allen, devoted their careers to working in this environment and contributing to understanding important issues that influence and sustain the success of this patient and family-focused system.
Dr. Victoria Allen’s clinical practice is based in Halifax, but her influence has extended throughout Nova Scotia and beyond. In addition to working with care providers and child-bearing families throughout the province as a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, Dr. Allen has had a special interest in supporting pregnant people with pregnancies complicated by substance use. She provided monumental support in the development of clinical guidelines for the Reproductive Care Program of Nova Scotia (RCP), especially in supporting the Opioid Agonist Therapy Project. Dr. Allen's expertise, kindness, and advocation in supporting families diagnosed with substance use in pregnancy was instrumental in the development and the success of the Clinical Resource and Toolkit.
Complementing her clinical practice, Dr. Allen is a prolific researcher. Among her 200 peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Allen has (co)authored literally dozens of publications that have used the RCP-managed Nova Scotia Atlee Perinatal Database including studies on: cesarean delivery; neonatal outcomes; diabetes in pregnancy; hospital closures; hypertensive disorders; fetal and infant mortality; and other perinatal epidemiology topics - including one about influenza in pregnancy with 491 citations. These have allowed clinicians to evaluate the risks and benefits of obstetric interventions and have informed evidence-based maternity care in Nova Scotia and around the world.
RCP extends our best wishes to Dr. Allen for a happy and rewarding retirement.
RCP Knowledge to Care: Advancing Perinatal and Newborn Care Practice Together Webinars – RCP is piloting a webinar series. Each session provides healthcare providers with the opportunity to engage in responsive and meaningful dialogue. The webinars center on emerging evidence, clinical guidance, and lived experience, ultimately supporting care providers in strengthening their decision-making and delivering high-quality care, leading to better outcomes for birthing people, newborns, and families. For a listing of upcoming webinars and to register click here.
Upcoming ACoRN Course – An Acute Care of at-Risk Newborns Provider course will be hosted at the IWK on October 16-17, 2026. This course is open to newborn care providers practicing within the Atlantic provinces and who have current NRP provider status. For more information go to the RCP website and/or to register click here.
OPOR Provider Portal for Community Providers - The One Person One Record (OPOR) Provider Portal is a clinical viewer (read only) for clinical care providers that has been integrated with the new Clinical Information System (CIS). The Provider Portal is currently live and provides enhanced functionality and new features to support patient care in preparation for provincial implementation of the CIS.
Registration for Provider Portal is now open. Depending on your role, the registration process varies. For more information and details about how to request access click here. Please note: Provider Portal access is strictly limited to individuals who provide direct clinical care. If your role does not involve delivering clinical care, you do not require access and therefore should not be requested / granted.
Providers are encouraged to become familiar with the system ahead of the CIS implementation, to get comfortable with using this technology. It is also an excellent tool for providers who work in zones not yet using the OPOR-CIS as it shows information from sites that are fully implemented.
If you have questions about OPOR or the Provider Portal, please email: opor@nshealth.ca
New Regulator for Nursing and Midwifery in NS - Effective June 30th, 2026, the Nova Scotia Nursing and Midwifery Regulator (NSNMR) was formed. It serves as a multi-profession regulator and replaces the former Nova Scotia College of Nursing and the Midwifery Regulatory Council of Nova Scotia.
The NSNMR has a legal responsibility to protect the public through the regulation of licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, registered psychiatric nurses, nurse practitioners, and registered midwives in Nova Scotia. Their regulatory approach is grounded in a commitment to safe, competent, ethical and compassionate care. They strive to engage in regulation that is relevant to the communities’ needs and the practical reality of nursing and midwifery practice. For more information go to the NSNMR website.
Regional Hospital Name Change – The Mission Assurance Agreement between the Sisters of St. Martha, the Department of Health and Wellness, and Nova Scotia Health will conclude on September 30, 2026. As a result, St. Martha’s Regional Hospital is getting a new name. Effective Oct. 1, 2026, the hospital’s name will change to Antigonish Memorial Regional Hospital. The name was chosen based on feedback from hospital staff, physicians, volunteers, and learners during engagement sessions held in June. It reflects the hospital’s location in Antigonish, honors the site’s history and the Sisters’ 120 years of care and service through the term “Memorial,” and recognizes its role as a Regional Hospital providing a broad range of healthcare services.
Smart Parent Pilot Extended - The SmartParent pilot program has been extended for an additional year. SmartParent is a free evidence-based text messaging program that sends information to support a healthy pregnancy and birth, timed and tailored to the specific stage of pregnancy. Please continue to support the pilot extension in sharing details of this valuable prenatal resource with colleagues, patients, and families. Additional information is available for parents on the IWK website and for care providers on the SmartParent website. SmartParent also provides posters which can be downloaded and posted in public spaces and online. Please encourage your perinatal patients and clients to sign up for SmartParent so they can benefit from the information shared throughout this transformational time in their lives. Enrollment can be completed by texting the keyword ‘Baby’ to 12323 or by going to www.smartparentcanada.ca and clicking ‘Enroll Now’.
CAPWHN and CANN 2026 Annual Conference – The Canadian Association of Perinatal and Women’s Health Nurses (CAPWHN) in collaboration with the Canadian Association of Neonatal Nurses (CANN) present Reaching New Heights in Perinatal, Neonatal, and Women’s Health. The conference is scheduled for October 1 & 2, 2026 in Calgary, Alberta. Join perinatal, neonatal, and women’s health nurses from across Canada for two days of inspiring keynote speakers, evidence-informed education sessions, networking opportunities, research presentations, and discussions on the future of nursing practice and patient care. For more information and to register click here.
Medical Disorders of Pregnancy Conference - Mount Sinai Dept. of Obstetrics & Gynaecology Presents: Medical Disorders of Pregnancy Conference 2026, scheduled for: October 2, 2026. This full-day virtual program is intended for obstetricians, internists, family physicians, maternal-fetal medicine specialists, psychiatrists, endocrinologists, residents, nurses, and allied health professionals involved in the care of pregnant and postpartum patients with complex medical conditions. This year’s program will examine current evidence, emerging therapies, and practical approaches across four key areas: infectious disease, psychiatry, hypertensive disorders, and endocrinology. For more information and to register click here.
Perinatal Mental Health Conference – The University of Ottawa departments of Psychiatry and Obstetrics are excited to offer the 5th annual Ottawa Curriculum for Perinatal Mental Health! This year’s event will focus on the impact of traumatic birth experiences and NICU admissions on mothers, fathers, infants, and healthcare providers. This course will be of interest to ALL perinatal and pediatric care providers, including obstetricians, pediatricians, family doctors, psychiatrists, midwives, nurses, doulas, social workers, occupational therapists, psychotherapists, lactation consultants, and learners.
Date: October 16, 2026, (8:00 AM - 4:00 PM), in Hybrid format
Learning Objectives include:
• Outline strategies to minimize the impact of traumatic deliveries and NICU admissions on perinatal individuals and their healthcare providers;
• Identify approaches to optimize the mental health of infants and fathers;
• Connect prospective and new parents with appropriate community resources and evidence-based non-pharmacological interventions.
For more information and to register click here.
2026 Maritime Pain Champion Retreat – Maritime Child Health is hosting its inaugural retreat on Monday, November 2, 2026, at Brigadoon Village in Aylesford, Nova Scotia. The retreat will bring together healthcare providers from across Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island for a day of education, collaboration, and hands-on learning focused on improving pain prevention, assessment, and management for children, youth, and young adults. Participants will also receive a procedural pain management toolkit to bring back to their practice area. Registration is limited. To register click here.
Professional/Health-related Upcoming Awareness Events/Days:
Awareness events—whether they be days, weeks or months—are a great tool to promote your profession or advocate for a health-related cause.
September:
Days:
• Spinal Cord Injury Day - September 5
• World Duchenne Awareness Day - September 7
• International Literacy Day - September 8
• World Suicide Prevention Day - September 10
• World Sepsis Day – September 13
• Worldwide Lymphoma Awareness Day - September 15
• World Patient Safety Day - September 17
• Terry Fox Run – September 20
• World Alzheimer's Day and International Day of Peace – September 21
Month:
• Arthritis Awareness
• Childhood Cancer Awareness
• Concussion Awareness
• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Awareness
• International Pain Awareness
• Ovarian Cancer Awareness
• Sickle Cell Awareness
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