Annual Report 2025: Preparing for a Positive Future

Message from the Department Head

In 2025, our department continued to adapt to a changing health-care landscape. As demand for laboratory testing grows and new technologies reshape how we diagnose disease, we remain focused on delivering timely, highquality services while preparing responsibly for the future.

On the education front, I am very pleased that our new training program for clinical lab scientists received national accreditation from the Canadian College of Medical Geneticists (CCMG) in 2025. This milestone reflects several years of dedicated work by Dr. Karen Bedard and her colleagues to develop a curriculum and practical framework that allows us to train clinical lab scientists with specialized expertise in genetic testing here in Halifax. As molecular testing expands, we must build local expertise to support these highly specialized services.

We also introduced three summer scholarships for undergraduate and medical students. These scholarships give students an opportunity to explore pathology through research projects and clinical exposure. Building interest early is essential if we want to maintain a strong pipeline of future scientists and pathologists.

In clinical services, we made several meaningful improvements this year. We are moving forward with the implementation of liquid-phase cytology for cervical cancer screening in the Central Zone, for example. Stabilizing tissue samples in liquid, rather than smearing them on a slide, allows us to detect human papillomavirus (HPV), even before cancerous changes appear. This provides earlier identification of cervical cancer risk. Samples that test negative for HPV do not need further testing, so this also streamlines testing workflows.

Another technical advancement was our pilot project in digital pathology. By digitizing images from glass slides, we can zoom in to examine finer details of each specimen. Digital imaging also allows easier consultation between pathologists and positions us well for future advances in diagnostic technology.

Through expanded staffing and operational adjustments at our blood collection sites in Central Zone, we reduced average wait times for blood work from approximately three weeks to about one week.

Within our hospitals, we streamlined blood collection services so that physicians receive results sooner and can make discharge decisions earlier in the day. This reduces unnecessary time in hospital and improves access to beds.

The launch of the One Patient, One Record (OPOR) system at IWK Health in December was another important step forward. As OPOR rolls out across the province in 2026, laboratory results from all hospitals in Nova Scotia will be available within a single electronic record for each patient. This will support more coordinated care and better information sharing among clinicians.

On the research side, the NS Health Biobank has continued to expand. Through strong collaboration with clinicians and the dedicated work of research staff who obtain patient consent, we have significantly increased the number of cancer specimens available for study. This strengthens our research capacity and supports high-impact projects across the province and with our national collaborators.

This year, we recognize the retirement of Dr. Alex Easton after many years of service in the Division of Anatomical Pathology. I thank him sincerely for his contributions to our department and to patient care. I am also pleased to welcome Dr. Cornelia Thoeni, Dr. Mariya Kuk and Dr. Ashlyn Fong to Anatomical Pathology, and Dr. Alaa Abdelrazik to Clinical Chemistry. Their expertise will further strengthen our clinical and academic programs.

As we look ahead, our priorities remain clear: to deliver timely, accurate diagnostic services, to invest in education and workforce development, and to continue modernizing our systems in support of patient care. I remain grateful for the steady commitment and professionalism of our faculty, staff and learners. Their work makes this progress possible.