News Release Archive
HEALTH--NEW CHAIR OF CENTRAL REGIONAL HEALTH BOARD
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Barbara Hart, executive director of the Nova Scotia Head
Injury Association, is the new chair of the Central Regional
Health Board, Health Minister Ron Stewart announced today.
"I am delighted Mrs. Hart agreed to step in as chairperson,
she is a very competent individual with a deep commitment to
health care," the minister said.
Ms. Hart, already a member of the Central Regional Health
Board, replaces James S. Cowan, QC as chair. Mr. Cowan, who is a
member of the law firm Stewart McKelvey Stirling Scales, resigned
last month to avoid any potential conflicts of interest. The
firm handles health care cases.
"I am very excited about leading the Central Regional Health
Board," Ms. Hart said. "Regional health boards are the
cornerstones of health reform in Nova Scotia and the central
board has an important role to play."
A graduate of the Victoria General Hospital School of
Nursing, she served as executive director of the YMCA-YWCA of
Dartmouth from 1983 to 1993, and is also a former executive
director of the Metro Planned Parenthood Association. She was an
alderman for the City of Dartmouth for seven years and also
served as deputy mayor. She is a past president of the Union of
Nova Scotia Municipalities, and was also a member of the Advisory
Council on the Status of Women.
The establishment of regional health boards in Nova Scotia
marks the beginning of a major transition from an institutional-
based health care system to community-based programming that has
an increased focus on wellness and on sickness prevention.
Regional health boards will be working on defining community
health districts and planning the establishment of community
health boards over the next several months. In September, 1995
they will begin to take on the governance of health care
facilities throughout the province. Following that, RHBs will be
assuming responsibility for drug dependency and public health
services. By 1997 responsibility for home care and long term
care will be with the RHBs.
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Contact: Chris Hansen, 424-5925
lm January 3, 1995
