Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that the Valley Regional Hospital in my riding of Annapolis Valley-Hants is leading the way in health care reform in Nova Scotia.
The Valley Regional Hospital will be the first in the province to come under the jurisdiction of one of our four new regional health boards. These boards were established as part of last year's provincial health reforms.
Since its inception in 1904, the Valley Regional Hospital has had a distinguished history. This new designation does not represent the end of an era but is one more example of how the hospital has always responded positively to change.
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the tremendous contribution of retiring director Peter Mosher, to Betty Mattson, the hospital's new acting general manager, the staff and many volunteers for their efforts to lead Nova Scotia's health care system into the future.