The people behind the Deanne Reeve Pelvic Health Suite at Dartmouth General Hospital
Dartmouth General Hospital (DGH) has been a quiet leader in the Nova Scotia healthcare system for almost 50 years. Home to a number of impressive “firsts,” including the first robot-assisted hip replacement in Canada, the hospital celebrated another first in late February with the opening of a first-in-Atlantic Canada pelvic health suite. This purpose-built, custom-designed suite will improve patient access and care, reduce wait times, and improve efficiencies within the hospital.
More than 100 donors, DGH staff, community members, and government representatives gathered at the hospital to celebrate the ribbon-cutting and grand opening of the Deanne Reeve Pelvic Health Suite on February 25th.
Modelled after similar suites in central and western Canada, this 1,750 square foot clinical space brings together gynecology, urology, pelvic floor physiotherapy, and other specialties to allow for a multidisciplinary approach to treatment and preventative care for women and men. This approach can lead to timely diagnosis, faster treatment, improved outcomes, and increased patient satisfaction.
The suite was the brainchild of Dr. Scott Mawdsley, Chief of Surgery at DGH. Mawdsley and his team had seen this model of care work at other leading healthcare centres in Canada and had a dream to bring this innovative approach to Nova Scotians.
“In order to get this going we obviously needed donors, and we also needed government support. The J&W Murphy Foundation were the first to be involved. They’ve been very generous with our hospital and have helped fund a number of new initiatives that have improved patient care.
The next hurdle was crossed when I signed up for a Halifax Chamber of Commerce tour of Vietnam and that turned out to be a true ‘trip of a lifetime.’ That tour led us to where we are today.”
It was during this leisure trip that Mawdsley’s dream and vision would meet and align with the dream and vision of a group of passionate and committed friends. Mawdsley sat next to Liz Rigney for lunch in Vietnam and the rest, as they say, is history.
Meeting for the first time halfway around the world, it wasn’t long before they found a shared passion and vision. Mawdsley’s was to build a state-of-the-art facility to support lifesaving pelvic health initiatives and Rigney’s was to honour her beloved friend who passed away due to cervical cancer in 2020, by making a difference for women’s health.
The plane had barely landed from Asia and Mawdsley was texting Rigney to set up a meeting to discuss next steps and explore how they might work together.
That initial touchpoint saw Rigney, together with friend Sheri Morgan, tour the potential space at DGH that could house their shared vision. Morgan had been working for years to find a way to honour her beloved friend, Deanne, by improving healthcare for women. She was a passionate advocate for women’s health and was inspired by Mawdsley’s vision.
Before the meeting even ended both Rigney and Morgan had committed to raising the funds required to build and name the suite after Reeve, and the DGH Foundation was fully on board. As DGH Foundation President and CEO, Stephen Harding, said, “Your dreams are our dreams.”
In just under six months, Morgan and Rigney had rallied friends and supporters to raise $500,000, in Reeve’s memory. They did this through the creation of the inaugural Orchid Gala—an event created to raise funds and awareness for women’s health. This was an outstanding feat on its own.
A true collaboration, the Nova Scotia Health Innovation Hub stepped in to prepare the business case and worked with government to secure the funding to operationalize the suite. Rob Steele of Steele Auto Group stepped forward with an incredible matching gift and generous donors like the Brien Family Foundation, Dorothy and Dan Gibson, Bruce Bowser, Mark and Teri Sherman, CIBC, and so many others from the community came together to ensure that this dream was fully funded. Eighteen months later, the dream was realized.
Tim Halman, MLA Dartmouth East and Chair, Treasury and Policy Board, says, “Teamwork makes the dreamwork and here at the Dartmouth General they are the living embodiment of that – the sweet sauce is when donors, government and community groups come together. Look what is achieved. Incredible results for patients. Incredible results for Nova Scotians.”
Incredible is right. This suite supports patient comfort, reduces wait times for urologic, gynecologic, endoscopic and surgical procedures, expands current services and promotes efficiencies. It was the secret sauce needed. Donors, community, and government working together.
Lisa Murphy and her sister, Karen Spaulding, of the J&W Murphy Foundation are enormously proud to support these first steps towards transformative change in women’s health and prouder still to, “stand on the apex of this mountain celebrating the reveal of the Deanne Reeve Pelvic Health Suite.”
Murphy fully believes this suite would not exist if not for the vision and determination of the Orchid Women’s Health Initiative fearlessly led by Rigney and Morgan. Their tireless efforts driven by a deep desire to honour their friend, Deanne, have helped shaped the future of women’s health in this community. Their passion reminds us to never underestimate the power of women fighting for women. As Lisa Murphy says, “When we exist loudly, we roar!”
Patient care impact realized
Hysteroscopy:
• Performed twice a week allows for faster access to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures
• At full capacity, approximately 1,000 procedures per year
• Quadruples capacity to perform gynecological procedures
Cystoscopy:
• More than doubles current capacity
• Significantly reduces wait times for urological care
• Leads to a 650% increase in capacity, helping to reduce wait times for Nova Scotia patients
Relief for the Operating Rooms and Endoscopy Suite:
• With hysteroscopy and cystoscopy relocated to the new Suite, frees up approximately 500 hours per year of surgical space for more complex cases, addressing critical backlogs
The suite is now fully operational and Nova Scotia Innovation Hub is closely watching what they are calling this “trial” with the hopes that similar suites can ideally be rolled out to the rest of the province.
Maggie Archibald, DGH patient, reinforced that message with her own personal story and experience. “The Pelvic Health Suite will help so many people. It will change so many lives. It will mean so much to people like me who struggle with pelvic health issues.”
There’s more to it than just innovative patient care. Dr. Jon Duplisea, DGH urologist said, “Having this kind of facility helps us recruit top-notch talent, bringing, much-needed medical expertise to DGH.”
For the members of the Orchid Health Initiative, Deanne Reeve and the new Suite that bears her name, represent every woman in this province that is fighting for her health, her life or her quality of life. They believe that the women who come through these doors of the new Suite will now have a fighting chance.
Reeve’s sister, Susan Parsons, travelled from Newfoundland along with her daughter, Katie, to be on hand for the unveiling of the space. She shared that in a family of all girls, her father had thought that the Reeve name would end with him. When her father learned what Reeve’s group of friends had accomplished in building and naming this Suite for her, he said, “the Reeve name will live on. Forever.”
Images Credit:
kelly clark fotography
