IWK Health

05/31/2026

Make sure you’re watching – there’s a Miracle Match this hour and they only last a few minutes! ✨

At different times throughout the IWK Telethon broadcast, you will hear about Miracle Matches. Miracle Matches are sponsored segments of the broadcast where all donations made will be matched by our very generous sponsors. That means your donation will have TWICE the impact!

A massive thank you to Grocery Foundation Atlantic for being our first Miracle Match of the day! ⭐

Tune in to be part of the magic: iwkfoundation.org/telethon

Make a donation now at bit.ly/telethon42 or by calling 1-800-595-2266

05/31/2026

The time has come for our first Power Hour of the day! 🚨🎉

Throughout the IWK Telethon, we'll be dedicating hour long sections where all funds raised will be directed toward a specific piece of critical equipment needed for the IWK.

This Power Hour is generously sponsored by Best Western Hotels & Resorts and is fundraising for an Exam Table for the Orthopaedic Clinic.

The IWK’s Orthopaedic Clinic team uses a special exam table with features that allow them to put casts on babies and children born with club feet. Club foot is a congenital condition (present at birth) where a baby’s foot or feet turn inward and downward which can make walking difficult or impossible. It occurs in about 1 in every 1,000 births, but with early treatment children experience good results.

Help purchase this critical equipment, start your monthly donation today at bit.ly/powerhour42 or by calling 1-800-595-2266

05/31/2026

National Access Awareness Week is an opportunity for IWK Health to recognize the leadership, expertise, and lived experiences of persons with disabilities, while also confronting the systemic barriers that continue to shape access to care, employment, and participation.

Accessibility is not an add-on—it is a fundamental component of quality, safety, and equity in healthcare. At IWK Health, our commitment to accessibility is embedded within our EDIRA strategy and reflected in policies related to accommodation, patient- and family-centred care, and inclusive design. However, we acknowledge that policies alone are not enough. True accessibility requires continuous attention to how our spaces, technologies, communication methods, and attitudes impact those we serve and work alongside.

We are guided by the principle of “nothing about us without us,” and we value the voices of persons with disabilities who inform and challenge our work. Whether it is improving physical access, ensuring digital accessibility, or fostering a culture where disclosure and accommodation are met with respect and responsiveness, we are working toward meaningful, sustained change.

Our people play a critical role in this progress. By listening, adapting, and advocating, we can move beyond compliance toward a culture where accessibility is anticipated, normalized, and embedded.

Thank you to all staff, patients, families, and partners who share their insights and advocate for change. Together, we are building a health system rooted in dignity, respect, and equity for all families every day.

05/30/2026

If you are a parent of a child with complex medical needs, you are invited to join us on

Thursday June 25, 2026 7:00 -8:30 pm

Our Parent Group is an informal meeting where parents can share tips and tricks of caring for their child with complex special needs!

Interested in attending?
Please email Jackie Pidduck at jacklynn.pidduck@iwk.nshealth.ca

Please note to receive the Zoom link, we will ask you to review the virtual group guidelines that will be emailed to you, to provide the address of where you will be during the meeting and a contact number in case of emergency.

05/29/2026

Congratulations to Sarah King on receiving the Excellence in People Centred Care Award which recognizes a staff member who consistently demonstrates exemplary commitment to patient- and family-centred care.

Sarah exemplifies excellence in people-centred care through every aspect of her role as Discharge and Continuing Care Liaison at IWK. Across both the Pediatric Medical Unit and women’s care, she consistently ensures that patients and families navigating highly complex medical journeys are supported through safe, thoughtful and coordinated transitions home or to community care. What stands out most is not only her clinical expertise, but her unwavering commitment to showing up for families in the spaces that fall between formal processes. She actively problem-solves alongside clinicians, families and community partners to ensure no patient is left without a clear path forward, regardless of complexity or circumstance.

Sarah’s practice reflects all four principles of people-centred care in a deeply integrated way. She upholds integrity and relevance by centring family knowledge in care planning and advocating for shared decision-making at every stage. Her communication is timely, clear and trustworthy, ensuring families and partners feel informed and supported. She advances inclusion by working across units and provinces to ensure equitable access to safe discharge planning and supports. Finally, her humility and commitment to learning are evident in her continuous efforts to improve systems, share knowledge and strengthen care pathways for some of the most medically complex patients. Across all of this, Sarah consistently builds trust, reduces barriers and strengthens the experience of care for families and teams alike.

IWK Health recently recognized and celebrated the outstanding contributions of IWK colleagues with All Stars awards. Congratulations to the nominees and recipients and thank you for all you’ve done. We wish you continued enjoyment and success in your work!

05/28/2026

At the IWK, midwives play an important role in supporting patient-centred pregnancy and birth experiences grounded in compassion, choice and collaboration. Read how modern midwifery is challenging convention and putting patient wishes first.

Karen Hawthorne worked for six years as a digital editor for the National Post, contributing articles on health, business, culture and travel for affiliated newspapers across Canada. She now writes from her home office in Toronto and takes breaks to bounce with her son on the backyard trampoline and...

05/28/2026

Join TREKK's Lisa Knisley, Lisa Hartling, Shannon Scott, and Sarah Elliott on June 4th for their presentation "Co-developing child health knowledge mobilization resources with clinicians and parents/families: A JBI gLOCAL Solution Room".

Head to our link in bio to register today!

05/27/2026

MicroResearch celebrated an important milestone on May 11 as the organization officially became a Dalhousie Research Institute while continuing its longstanding role as an IWK Research Centre.

The event recognized the partnership between the IWK Health and Dalhousie University - highlighting the impact MicroResearch has had in communities locally and internationally since its founding in 2008.

Co-founded by Dr. Noni MacDonald and Dr. Bob Bortolussi, in collaboration with colleagues in Uganda, MicroResearch supports community-driven research by giving local teams the tools and training to identify and solve issues affecting their own communities.

“The MicroResearch Institute will bring people together from three faculties - Medicine, Health, and Agriculture,” explained Dr. Bortolussi. “With their help, MicroResearch will now be able to address the wider needs of people around the world.”

MicroResearch has trained more than 1,800 participants across 11 countries and supported projects focused on health, mental wellness, community supports, and other local priorities. In Canada, projects have explored issues ranging from adolescent access to mental health services in Nova Scotia to community health and wellbeing. For example, commercial fish harvesters in Newfoundland and Labrador identified a need for targeted trauma supports since the industry experiences high rates of fatalities which dramatically impact small communities.
Dr. Bortolussi emphasized that the organization’s work is rooted in the belief that communities are best positioned to identify solutions that fit their own realities.

“We’ve found that local problems need local solutions by local people,” he said. “I’m proud that MicroResearch gives local people the tools (research) to answer questions that allow their brothers and sisters to improve their lives and the lives of those in the community.”
Dr. MacDonald highlighted that approach is especially valuable at a time when communities and healthcare systems are facing increasing pressures.

“We are in a time of much instability and changing pressures,” she noted. “We indeed need to do more with less, and that is one of the important outcomes of MicroResearch. It’s about finding solutions to community problems that fit the culture, the context and the resources.”
As MicroResearch begins this new chapter as a Dalhousie Research Institute, its focus remains on empowering communities to drive meaningful change through locally led research.

Pictured: Left to right: Dr. David Anderson, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University; Dr. Krista Jangaard, President and CEO, IWK Health; Dr. Noni MacDonald, Co-founder, MicroResearch and Professor Emerita, Dalhousie University and IWK Health; Dr. Jennifer Bain, Associate Vice-President Research, Dalhousie University; Dr. Bob Bortolussi, Co-founder, MicroResearch and Professor Emeritus, Dalhousie University and IWK Health.

05/27/2026

Still thinking about joining an Autism Education Sessions? There’s still time!

Free online Autism Education Sessions for families of preschool-aged children with autism continue through June. Learn about autism, get practical strategies for everyday life, and explore supports available across Nova Scotia.

Session topics include behaviour, communication, toileting, sleep, mealtimes, transition to school, and more.

https://iwkhealth.ca/provincial-preschool-autism-service/autism-education-series

Hosted by the Provincial Preschool Autism Service (PPAS) — a partnership between IWK Health, Nova Scotia Health, Hearing and Speech Nova Scotia, and Autism Nova Scotia.

05/26/2026

Thanks to our friends at CTV Morning Live Atlantic for having us on the show to share some of our most important tips for safe play at the playground with viewers across Atlantic Canada! Check out the segment on our page here: https://childsafetylink.ca/news/ctv-news-playground-safety-tips