Highlights of the Board of Directors regular public meeting

Edmundston, December 5, 2017 – The regular public meeting of the Board of Directors of Vitalité Health Network was held on Tuesday, December 5, 2017, in Edmundston.

Privatization of the Extra-Mural Program

Since the last meeting of the Board of Directors, we have seen generalized support and citizen mobilization against the project to privatize the Extra-Mural Program (EMP) management. “Several other groups, associations and citizens have expressed their concern and opposition regarding the privatization,” stated Gilles Lanteigne, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Network.

It is not necessary to privatize the EMP to meet the challenges facing the health care system, including the emergence of chronic illnesses and an aging population. We started communicating and explaining our plan to the government and population two years ago.

The Network has been actively preparing since at least the fall of 2015 to implement the changes necessary to meet the challenges facing the health care system, including the emergence of chronic illnesses and an aging population. “It is not necessary to privatize the EMP to achieve that,” said Mr. Lanteigne. “We started communicating and explaining our plan to the government and population two years ago.

The expansion of primary health care services is one of our seven main strategic priorities, and optimizing EMP services is the main tool to get it done. Our employees are actually already working on implementing initiatives and projects to reduce hospitalization and length of stay at the hospital and ensure that patients can remain at home longer,” he added.

Organizational performance – positive results

The Network announced its financial results for the first six months of the current fiscal year, i.e. for the period April 1 to September 30, 2017. The corporation recorded an operating surplus of $1.51 million as a result of expenses approximately $441,867 under budget and income approximately $979,162 over budget.

The Network’s financial performance indicators have all reached or exceeded their targets. The Network reports that its low-risk C-section rate is lower than targeted, for the first time since that indicator has been monitored systematically.

Also, hospitalization rates related to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart failure and diabetes are all better than targeted. Furthermore, we had the objective to reduce the waiting list for patients who have been waiting for a surgical procedure for more than 12 months. Our results are also better than what had been targeted.

Chemotherapy services at the Grand Falls General Hospital and Hôtel-Dieu Saint-Joseph de Saint-Quentin

We will be able to meet the Canadian standards pertaining to care quality, patient safety, maintaining qualifications and certification of the nursing staff as well as safe and timely transportation of chemotherapy medications

The Network confirmed its intention to implement the care delivery model it proposed to the Department of Health on November 2 to ensure chemotherapy treatments are maintained in Grand Falls and Saint-Quentin. “This way, we will be able to meet the Canadian standards pertaining to care quality, patient safety, maintaining qualifications and certification of the nursing staff as well as safe and timely transportation of chemotherapy medications,” stated Mr. Lanteigne.

The Network intends on continuing the collaborative work already initiated with its community partners, as long as exchanges can be done with courtesy and while respecting everyone’s skill sets and responsibilities.

Major capital and renovation projects

The Network provided an update on its major capital and renovation projects for 2017–2018. “As regards the long-term capital budget, we have an envelope of $62.87 million this year,” said Gisèle Beaulieu, Vice-President, Performance, Quality and Corporate Services. Projects under way include the new surgical suite and the morgue at the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre, the construction of the Centre of Excellence for Youth in Campbellton and the expansion and renovation of the Chaleur Regional Hospital in Bathurst and the Paquetville Health Centre.

Still for 2017-2018, the Network has a budget of $2.89 million for major renovation projects.

The next regular public meeting of the Board of Directors of Vitalité Health Network will be held on Tuesday, February 13, 2018, at 1:00 p.m., in Bathurst.