Three years ago this week, we opened the doors to the Nova Scotia Health Innovation Hub in downtown Halifax.
Since then, our space has become a place where ideas, partnerships and innovation come together to help improve healthcare for Nova Scotians.
As the front door for partnerships at Nova Scotia Health, we've had the privilege of working alongside clinicians, researchers, patients, innovators, and industry partners to test, evaluate, and scale solutions that make a difference.
Over the past three years, we've supported the adoption of mobile, virtual and digital innovations, helped tackle real healthcare challenges, and earned national and international recognition for our collaborative approach and impact.
In honour of our anniversary, let’s look back at just a few of the major milestones:
Launch of the Oncology Transformation Project, which aims to reduce treatment wait times and improve survival rates by modernizing cancer care delivery and integrating key oncology information systems in real time.
Opening of the Care Coordination Centre (C3), a command centre that tracks bed availability, diagnostic tests and procedures, wait-lists, ambulance offloads, and patient transfers. C3 provides healthcare teams with the real-time information they need. Originally developed as an innovative solution through the Health Innovation Hub, C3 management has since been fully integrated into the Nova Scotia primary care health system.
Launch of a 10-year, $175 million multidisciplinary oncology partnership between Siemens Healthineers and Nova Scotia Health to accelerate the patient journey from screening through survivorship. Building on a long-standing relationship, the partnership includes the acquisition of advanced Ethos radiotherapy systems with Hypersight imaging, the development of digital health solutions, and the establishment of a Siemens Healthineers office in Nova Scotia creating multiple full-time jobs. Together, these investments are strengthening cancer care, advancing health innovation, and improving outcomes for Nova Scotians.
Growth of Medventions Atlantic (launched in 2023), the second Canadian site for Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre’s Medventions fellowship program. The program has since completed its fifth and sixth cohorts and expanded with the launch of the first Medventions Atlantic NL pilot cohort in Carbonear, Newfoundland and Labrador, in January 2026. Together, these programs are helping build the next generation of health innovators by providing participants with the skills, mentorship, and networks needed to bring new ideas to life.
A new research consent framework was introduced in April 2026 through a partnership between Nova Scotia Health, Medavie Blue Cross, and the provincial government. The framework gives Nova Scotians greater choice in how they participate in medical research while improving access and equity.
Partnership with Mitacs, awarding a $1.4 million grant to support industrial engineering interns and post-doctoral fellows in solving healthcare challenges—representing Mitacs’ largest-ever health authority grant.
Launch of the YourHealthNS app, a one-stop shop to book services, access health records, navigate care, and find information more easily and quickly. Originally developed through a partnership between Nova Scotia Health, the province of Nova Scotia, and IWK Health, the app has since become part of the broader Nova Scotia Health system and remains an important digital health resource for Nova Scotians.
Strategic partnership with Life Sciences Nova Scotia, focused on better aligning programs and supports for innovators, entrepreneurs, and companies in the life and health sciences sector.
Advancement of robotic surgery capabilities at the QEII Health Sciences Centre through collaborations involving the Health Innovation Hub, the Neurosurgery Division, and the QEII Foundation. This included the introduction of the ROSA One Brain robot, which enables less invasive surgeries, smaller incisions, and shorter recovery times, improving the patient experience across Nova Scotia. In 2021, the Health Innovation Hub also helped bring Canada’s second Stryker Mako surgical robot to the QEII, followed by an additional system at Dartmouth General Hospital in 2022. Together, these investments supported the development—and ongoing evolution—of a Centre of Excellence in Robotic Surgery at the QEII. The da Vinci Xi model is now the seventh surgical robot at the hospital and the eighth overall.
Hosting of three biannual Health Innovation Exchange events, creating dynamic spaces for healthcare providers, researchers, and industry partners to connect, share knowledge, and co-develop solutions. These efforts strengthened partnerships with 20 organizations, including new partners Novartis and GreenShield.
Creation of the Wound Innovation Collaborative, a Nova Scotia Health-led initiative advancing wound care across the province. It brings together clinical experts, researchers, industry partners, and innovators to develop and implement cutting-edge tools while building capacity and education in wound care.
The Test and Try model, a cornerstone of our innovation approach, continues to help clinicians and innovators validate new ideas quickly, safely, and effectively.
A multitude of events, from interactive workshops and innovation challenges to speaker series and networking sessions, these gatherings fostered the exchange of ideas, highlighted emerging health technologies, and strengthened partnerships across the province. By providing a platform for knowledge sharing and hands-on learning, these events have helped advance health innovation in Nova Scotia and beyond.
Of course, we couldn’t do this without our partners. Partnerships fuel innovation, and collaboration is at the heart of everything we do. By bringing together the right people, with the right ideas, at the right time, we are tackling critical health challenges and accelerating meaningful change across the system.
We can’t wait to see what the future holds!
