Message from the Board Chair and CEO

Continuously enhancing accessibility, communication, and engagement in our community

Last year marked our 60th anniversary, and we are proud of the key milestones we’ve achieved. Those achievements genuinely reflect our mission and strategic goals to enhance accessibility, communication, and engagement for the communities we serve across the province.

For us, our strategic focus on the theme of accessibility is not just about checking a box; it is at the heart of everything we do, ensuring that everyone, regardless of their background or abilities, can access the services they need from us. Our commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion has been the guiding principle of our decision-making process. Whether providing supportive materials for Indigenous or neurodiverse clients or ensuring equitable access to preschool hearing and speech services province-wide, we are dedicated to enhancing inclusion inside and outside our organization. We were particularly pleased to welcome Morghan Manuel, Speech-Language Pathologist, to our team in Truro. Morghan was the first recipient of our Scholars Endowment Scholarship, which supports students from under-represented communities enrolled in the Master of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology program at Dalhousie’s School of Communication Sciences and Disorders.

We would also like to take this opportunity to announce the recipient of the 2023 George and Lenore Mencher Award: Simon Pawlowski, a second-year student at Dalhousie’s School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, whose service, leadership and academic achievements have been exemplary. This prestigious scholarship, supported by generous donations, aims to assist exceptional students like Simon during their clinical externship program.

Our concerted focus on communication strategies, introduced this year, was effective in raising awareness of our organization and the vital services we offer Nova Scotians.

We witnessed significant growth in community engagement, demonstrated by our clients’ increased awareness and improved understanding of our organization and the services we offer. From revamping our website to sharing client success stories, every effort has fostered more connection and understanding within our communities and increased awareness of Hearing and Speach Nova Scotia (HSNS) services by over 500%. The feedback we've received from our staff, clients and partners, has fuelled our passion and propelled us forward, even in the face of challenges. These strategies have supported our collaborative work with government to ensure our passionate staff continue delivering essential quality services to those in need.

Lastly, our accomplishments through productive engagement strategies have been rewarding. Hearing and Speech Nova Scotia staff increased efforts for meaningful engagement, a cornerstone of all our endeavours, fostering more collaboration and dialogue among our staff, board members, partners, patients and their families. From meeting with stroke survivors in Truro to listening to the insights of our dedicated staff members across Nova Scotia, every interaction has enriched our understanding and strengthened our resolve for continuous improvement. Establishing the Innovations Fund grant program highlights the HSNS Board’s commitment to fostering creativity and staff engagement by providing small grants for staff to implement innovative ideas to improve services.

The Provincial Preschool Autism Service is another excellent example of how collaborative efforts with partners can make strides in service improvements. Together with IWK Health, Nova Scotia Health and Autism Nova Scotia, HSNS has expanded services to support autistic preschoolers and their families across the province. And in terms of funding, we are pleased to report significant contributions received in April 2024 from the Department of Health and Wellness. Funding of $260,000 was received to assist in offsetting inflationary cost drivers.

Additional amounts received included $1,425,000 to address inequities in wait times for preschool hearing and speech services and an additional $1,108,000 for capital equipment and software enhancements.

We are proud to present this year's annual report to Nova Scotians. It contains information on our performance for 2023-2024 and highlights the accomplishments of our staff and volunteers.

As we look ahead, we remain steadfast in our commitment to advancing accessibility, communication and engagement within our organization and beyond. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our dedicated staff, board members,

and volunteers, and we would be remiss not to mention our supportive partners, who remain vital to our shared mission.

Thank you, and here’s to another year of progress and achievements!

Mark Landy, Board Chair Anne Mason-Browne, CEO