Seeing clearly again: Jim McKnight regains his vision thanks to Nova Scotia Health eye surgery partnership

Seeing Clearly Again: Jim McKnight's Vision Restored

For artist and musician Jim McKnight, clear vision is vital. Cataracts blurred his sight, making it hard to paint fine details, read fiddle music, and drive at night.

“My colours were being affected by the yellow haze cataracts give you, and the glare from headlights at night made it difficult to drive,” said Jim. “My wife and I had to change our lifestyle, making sure we got home before dark.”

Path to Treatment

Jim’s optometrist referred him to ophthalmologist Dr. Brennan Eadie at Eadie Eye Centre. He underwent cataract surgery on both eyes, spaced a month apart. The surgeries were performed at Halifax Vision Surgical Centre.

Partnership Enhances Eye Care

Since 2020, Nova Scotia Health has partnered to offer publicly funded cataract surgeries at Halifax Vision Surgical Centre, which also helps free hospital operating rooms for complex eye procedures.

Impact on Cataract Surgery Wait Times

Over 17,700 cataract surgeries completed province-wide last year.
83% of patients received treatment within the national 112-day benchmark.
The partnership at Halifax Vision Surgical Centre added nearly 1,000 cases.
Overall waitlist reduced by 28% thanks to this and other initiatives.

Recognition of Progress

These efforts contributed to Nova Scotia's strong performance in the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) report on priority procedure wait times.

Author’s Summary

The collaboration between Nova Scotia Health and Halifax Vision Surgical Centre has significantly improved cataract surgery access and wait times, restoring patients like Jim McKnight to clear vision and better quality of life.

Nova Scotia Health — 2025-11-05