Outpatient cardiology services now offered at the Stella Maris-de-Kent Hospital

Sainte-Anne-de-Kent, November 16, 2017 – Vitalité Health Network is pleased to announce that, since November 1, outpatient cardiology services have been available three days per week at the Stella-Maris-de-Kent Hospital in Sainte Anne.

Left to right: Stella Hébert, patient, Erica Comeau, Cardiology Technologist; and Dr Rina Lee, Cardiologist, with the  new specialized equipment at the outpatient cardiology services of the Stella Maris-de-Kent Hospital.

Left to right: Stella Hébert, patient, Erica Comeau, Cardiology Technologist; and Dr Rina Lee, Cardiologist, with the new specialized equipment at the outpatient cardiology services of the Stella Maris-de-Kent Hospital.

Close to $550,000 in investments, shared between Vitalité Health Network and the fondation Les Ami.e.s de l’Hôpital Stella-Maris-de-Kent, have allowed renovation work to be carried out, specialized equipment to be purchased and additional staff to be hired. 

According to Gilles Lanteigne, President and CEO of the Network, the addition of these specialized services fits perfectly with one of the policy directions set out in the organization’s 2017-2020 Strategic Plan, which made improving access to care and services throughout the Network’s territory, especially in rural areas, a priority. “The project was launched to significantly reduce the distance that patients must travel to access the services they need. We are proud to invest in our communities while continuing to offer quality care and services,” he stated, recalling that in 2015-2016, patients from Kent County had made nearly 2,000 outpatient cardiology visits to the Dr. Georges L. Dumont University Hospital Centre in Moncton. 

The Network’s investment of nearly $350,000 in this project covered the renovation costs and will fund normal operating costs such as salaries. In addition, it was agreed that the fondation Les Ami.e.s de l’Hôpital Stella Maris de Kent would invest $200,000 to purchase an examination stretcher, a diagnostic treadmill and a cardiac ultrasound unit. A three-year fundraising campaign has been launched to help reimburse the cost of these various pieces of equipment.

“Thanks to Dr. Jean-François Baril’s initiative, patients in Kent County now have access to an essential service at the Stella-Maris-de-Kent Hospital, namely outpatient cardiology services. We are confident that, thanks to the population’s generosity, we will be able to reach the objective for this campaign, which is being chaired by Joey Caissie,” explained Adélard Cormier, Chair of the fondation Les Ami.e.s de l’Hôpital Stella-Maris-de-Kent.

“Thanks to this new equipment, we will be able to provide the region’s patients with on-site consultation and follow-up services. This available technology will allow us to perform high quality examinations, and waiting times to see a cardiologist will drop with the addition of outpatient cardiology services at the Stella-Maris-de-Kent Hospital. We are very pleased to be able to offer the people of Kent County excellent services close to home,” Dr. Jean-François Baril explained.

Left to right: Adélard Cormier, Chair of the fondation Les Ami.e.s de l’Hôpital Stella-Maris-de-Kent; Roger Doiron, Richibucto Mayor; and Joey Caissie, Chair of the campaign, are proud to support the fundraising campaign that will help reimburse the cost  of various pieces of equipment.

Left to right: Adélard Cormier, Chair of the fondation Les Ami.e.s de l’Hôpital Stella-Maris-de-Kent; Roger Doiron, Richibucto Mayor; and Joey Caissie, Chair of the campaign, are proud to support the fundraising campaign that will help reimburse the cost of various pieces of equipment.