Making Waves: Leadership Excellence Award – Physician Leader presented to Dr. Ahmed Saleh for leadership in mental health and addictions

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Dr. Ahmed Saleh earned the Leadership Excellence Award – Physician Leader, a top honour celebrating a Nova Scotia Health physician who leads with integrity, compassion and vision. Known for his tireless advocacy and system-wide impact, Ahmed is reshaping mental health and addictions care across the province - one bold step at a time. Ahmed is a psychiatrist based at Valley Regional Hospital (VRH) in Kentville, Nova Scotia, where he has practiced since 2018. He has served as the Site Lead for Psychiatry at VRH since 2021 and is also the Department Head of Psychiatry for Nova Scotia Health’s Western Zone. In addition, Ahmed is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Dalhousie University.

Born in Egypt, Ahmed completed his medical education at the faculty of medicine, University of Alexandria. In 2009, he immigrated to Canada and went on to complete his psychiatry residency at Dalhousie University in Halifax.

His decision to stay in Nova Scotia was both professional and personal. “My wife and I went to high school together in Kuwait. She moved to Canada earlier, trained as a dentist at Dalhousie University and joined the military. She was posted to Greenwood, which took us both to the Valley,” he says. “We love it here and it feels like home.”

Ahmed’s passion for psychiatry is deeply rooted. “If I could go back, I would still choose psychiatry. I love my job, I love the people I work with, and I love the patients. My days are always interesting.” His clinical work focuses on inpatient care, where he helps individuals facing acute mental health crises such as depression or psychosis. “People often come to the unit at the worst times in their lives,” he adds. “I get the chance to intervene and help redirect the course, which is incredibly meaningful.”

In addition to his clinical responsibilities, Ahmed plays an active role in provincial mental health planning and zeroes in on equity, diversity, inclusion, reconciliation and accessibility (EDIRA) with his work.

“Through my leadership roles, I’ve been able to bring the lessons from frontline care into system-level planning and ensuring care is focused on EDIRA principles.” Since arriving in Nova Scotia, Ahmed has seen encouraging progress in mental health and addictions care for Nova Scotians. “The system is more cohesive now; there’s a clear direction and a focus on improving access for equity-seeking populations. There’s also a strong push toward doing more with the resources we already have, improving efficiency and care quality.”

When asked about how he feels about receiving the Leadership Excellence Award – Physician Leader, he said it took him by surprise. “Honestly, I didn’t expect it. I was just doing my job, but to see that the work is being recognized, it gives me hope that we’re making a difference.”

He is quick to share credit with his colleagues. “I work with an incredibly dedicated inpatient unit team. The nurses go above and beyond for patients every day. We have amazing social workers, psychologists, peer supporters, personal rehabilitation workers and administrative staff,” Ahmed notes. “I’m just a small part of the equation.”

Reflecting on his role, Ahmed adds, “As a physician, I’m in a privileged position to make a difference—not just for individual patients, but also at the systems level. Sometimes it feels like no one notices, but they do. That’s what I’d say to others: keep pushing in the right direction. Your work matters.”

Congratulations, Ahmed! Thank you for your commitment and dedication to mental health and addictions care for Nova Scotians.

Photo of Dr. Ahmed Saleh.