AMHERST – Before moving to Pugwash in 2009, nurse practitioner Lynn Miller worked for more than 10 years as a nurse practitioner in Goose Bay, Nfld.

Besides her work as a nurse practitioner, the Moncton native is currently studying towards her doctorate of nursing at George Washington University.

Miller was the guest speaker at the 12th annual Health Care Foundation Dinner Saturday night at Amherst Regional High School.

"I serve on a national board for health practitioners and this part of Nova Scotia is talked about right across Canada because of the leadership that's been shown and the model of collaborative care teams," Miller said.

She added people in her profession share a lot of the same roles that family physicians do.

"The important thing we like to stress is we're not trying to replace," Miller said. "Everybody has a special place and we like to think of the right person providing the right care in the right environment at the right time. That's how we build a philosophy of wellness, health promotion and preventing illnesses as much as we can."

She said the 'team contract' is part and parcel of working in Pugwash.

"All of us work together and work as a team to provide care," she said. "We share resources and we share expertise. If there's something one of us isn't sure of, you pop into the next office.

"This is the proven model that helps improve population health, and that's what we're striving for in our little corner of the world."

Miller highlighted the fact that Nova Scotia has the second highest rate of diabetes in Canada adding that, when it comes to chronic diseases such as diabetes, the most important component of the team contract is the patient.

I serve on a national board for health practitioners and this part of Nova Scotia is talked about right across Canada because of the leadership that's been shown and the model of collaborative care teams. - Nurse practitioner Lynn Miller

"I know some of my patients are here tonight and I like to think we work as a team," Miller said. "That's the basis of chronic disease management care.

"It's not about the practitioner telling you what to do. It's about getting the patients to invest in themselves, understanding how important it is that they are in charge of their own care, and then become part of that team."

Miller said it's about taking a holistic approach to health.

Holistic care means addressing more than just the symptoms and looking at your lifestyle.

"We're going to talk about how that walking program is going, ‘did you manage to cut the salt out of your diet to keep your blood pressure under control?’ ‘Heard you had a loss in your family’, ‘how are you doing?’ ‘is your sleep ok?’ ‘Is there anything we can do to help you with the issue of an elderly parent’, ‘maybe you have a child that has a challenge?’"

"All those things feed into your health and those can't be ignored," she said.

Miller began her doctorate studies at George Washington University last July and is the lone Canadian in the program.

"I'm going to tell you we have it really good up here," Miller said. "I think we're in the better place to be, and they're fascinated with how our system works and I think we should be proud of it."