Hall working to address doctor shortage in Annapolis Valley
She looks forward to sharing her love of the Annapolis Valley community with medical residents as she helps with doctor recruitment and retention efforts.
Breanna Hall was hired recently by the Annapolis Valley Collaborative Coalition for Doctor Retention and Recruitment as a community physician navigator. The position will support recruitment and retention efforts of the Nova Scotia Health Authority and the Dalhousie Family Medical Residency Program.
She grew up in Halls Harbour and moved to London, Ont,, to study fashion merchandising. After returning to Nova Scotia, Hall took a career position but quickly realized the field wasn’t for her.
She switched gears and enrolled in the tourism program at the Nova Scotia Community College Kingstec Campus in Kentville. Hall now resides in Centreville and said she wants to grow her family here.
“For us, it’s really important to be here in a smaller community. I like the neighbourly feel of that, you have a lot of community members who are just like family,” Hall said.
Hall’s son, who is now seven, was born with anaphylaxis – complex, life-threatening food allergies. Hall gained a new appreciation for having a family doctor to help put them in touch with the necessary specialists to get the immediate answers they needed.
The experience helped her realize how difficult it must be for the many people without a family doctor and made her very thankful to have one.
Her tourism training will serve her well in the new navigator role. Hall said she has always had a desire to get out to explore the Valley on evenings and weekends. She looks forward to showing doctors and their families who are new to the area all the attractions that inspire her to keep exploring the area.
She hopes that, as connections are made, doctors will see the Valley as an area where they want to stay and this will help bridge the gap in health care.
She said the collaborative coalition committee has been very helpful and supportive of her work, which she fully anticipated when she took the navigator position. Committee members recognize the need in health care and the opportunities to bring this all together so the community has a solid team of health professionals.
There are 10 medical residents from Dalhousie University currently here, with five first-years joining in July and another five in their second year who are still in the area. Hall was hired in August, so things have been busy.
They recently held a Dalhousie Family Medicine Virtual Retreat, which involved a lot of preparation. Hall said this wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the committee and the community in providing welcoming baskets to the medical residents. Hall said they need the support of volunteers who can help with events or in any other way they can.
Hall recently sat down for a Q&A session:
Q: What is your full name? A: Breanna Hall.
Q: Where were you born? A: I was born in Kentville, at the old hospital.
Q: Where do you live today?
A: Centreville.
Q: What is your favourite place in the world?
A: My bucket list is large, but as I’ve travelled this far, I would say Ireland . . . It pulled heart strings and I felt comfortable enough to navigate through there that I felt like I was in Nova Scotia on the other side of the world.
Q: What would people be surprised to learn about you?
A: Sometimes when people approach me, they don’t think I’m the outdoor enthusiast until they see me on the water or on the hiking trail.
Q: What is your greatest indulgence?
A: Chocolate. There is some great local chocolate!
Q: What is your favourite movie or book?
A: I don’t have a favourite, there are so many!
Q: How do you like to relax?
A: Camping, stargazing – outdoor things. Just kicking back outdoors, anywhere.
Q: How would you describe your personal fashion statement?
A: My love for fashion is still there and my history will never change . . . but now it’s more of a hobby than a career. Leisure on the weekends and in the evenings, and well put together during the day.
Meet Your Neighbour is a regular feature that profiles area residents. Want to suggest someone that should be featured? Email your idea to scott.doherty@saltwire.com.