Partners in Care:
5 Years of Dedication

After a period of relative quiet during the COVID-19 pandemic, HSNS’s Partners in Care Advisory Committee – our group of patient advocates – has been busy with many big and small projects.

The small projects usually involve reviewing documents that will be shared with the public. Our Partners in Care bring their backgrounds and personal experiences when reviewing these documents and they’re keen to make sure what we print is accessible to all Nova Scotians.

Our Partner in Care, Ferne Mardlin-Smith, is particularly passionate about making services more accessible to everyone. Ferne had a stroke in August 2017 and received services from HSNS. “I examine documents and materials through the eyes of a client to ensure all information is easy to understand. It is important that people requiring the services of HSNS know how to find the support and help they need.”

The big project we’re working on involves creating a volunteer co-chair position for the Committee. This has been a goal at HSNS since we formed the Partners in Care Advisory Group in 2017. After a few years’ experience under our belts, we are currently taking steps to define the scope of the position with the aim of having a volunteer co-chair in place in April 2024. This step is important to HSNS, as having a volunteer co-chair elevates the status of volunteers at the Leadership level of HSNS. It is also an expression of our commitment to truly and authentically listen to our clients and families.

The core membership of our committee has been very stable over the years, but this year we said goodbye to two long-standing members who both expressed they had given all they could.

After working with his Audiologist, Robert MacIsaac of Antigonish joined Partners in Care because of the impact his hearing loss and auditory processing issues had on his life. Robert was a long-standing member of the Communications Committee and provided great feedback on our communications plan and related activities over the years.

Keith Burton of Sydney joined Partners in Care alongside his Speech-Language Pathologist. He also served on our Ethics-Decision Support Working Group for the duration of his membership. Keith offered important context from the client experience to ethical issues at HSNS.

Hearing and Speech Nova Scotia wishes to sincerely thank Robert and Keith for their many years of service to our organization and its clients. We wish you well!