Chemotherapy treatment in Grand Falls and Saint-Quentin: Additional resources would maintain services in these communities

Bathurst, Thursday, November 2, 2017 –  Vitalité Health Network plans to propose an alternate solution to the government that will involve the hiring of an additional registered nurse and the implementation of a new model for internal operations. This addition of resources would allow the nursing staff to travel within the Grand Falls and Saint-Quentin areas delivering chemotherapy services to the patients in these communities. 

Gilles Lanteigne, President and CEO of the Network, hopes that the Minister of Health will look favourably upon this plan as it meets  the objectives of quality of care, patient security and continuity of local services.  “The details will be submitted to the minister’s office today so that he can make an informed decision,” Mr. Lanteigne stated, acknowledging that the solution will inevitably generate additional costs. “The minister will have to consider the addition of new resources and the additional costs related to physicians’ involvement, to training, and to certification before he makes a decision in this matter,” he added.

Mr. Lanteigne sees this as a pragmatic solution that would allow the Network’s health professionals to meet Canadian standards for care quality and safety. “We understand the dissatisfaction expressed by cancer patients in the Grand Falls and Saint-Quentin areas.  We believe that the solution we have found will meet the Network’s requirements as well as those of our patients.  Our hope now is that it will be supported and funded by the government.”