Nova Scotia Health Authority’s (NSHA) Regional Tissue Bank and the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service marked a unique partnership Thursday which has resulted in the first dedicated tissue recovery in Canada to operate within a Medical Examiner’s jurisdiction.

Staff, media and other stakeholders received a tour of the highly-specialized suite, which has been in operation at the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner facility in Dartmouth since February 2018.

Close proximity of departments allow staff to access a designated location 24 hours a day, seven days a week outside of the hospital setting; this enables the Regional Tissue Bank (RTB) to accept more donors into the donation process and ensure organs and tissues reach a recipient quickly.

“Tissue donation and transplant impacts hundreds of lives in Nova Scotia each year,” said Harold Taylor, Health and Service Manager with the NSHA RTB. “By working together, we can continue to provide the best possible care and support for the donor, recipients and families we serve while also achieving system efficiencies like tissue access, recovery time, transportation and education for both departments.”

“As a result of this partnership and co-location, Nova Scotians are getting quicker access to much needed tissues,” said Mark Furey, Minister responsible for the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service. “Together we are helping to improve transplant patient care.”

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Source : Media Release