2021–2022 annual general meeting: highlights and achievements from a very busy year

Moncton, Tuesday, June 21, 2022 – The Board of Directors of Vitalité Health Network held its 2021–2022 annual general meeting (AGM) as well as a regular public meeting on Tuesday, June 21, 2022 in Moncton.

For the AGM, Denis M. Pelletier, Acting Chairperson of the Board of Directors, and Dr. France Desrosiers, President and CEO of the Network, sumarized the highlights and achievements of the past year under the theme “Partners for Healthy Communities.”

This theme reflects the Network’s ambition to become a leader in the area of stakeholder participation in health care decision-making. Priorities must be set by and for communities. Against this backdrop, the Network was pleased to welcome a number of community, institutional and government partners to its AGM.

Survey by Accreditation Canada representatives

The AGM was held in the midst of a very special week for the Network, i.e. while a team of 13 Accreditation Canada representative were on site from June 19 to 24. All week, these people, dubbed “surveyors,” will visit the Network’s many facilities and points of service.

They will have the opportunity to analyze the Network’s processes and progress concerning improvement opportunities and to share their expertise with our staff. The Board of Directors and Leadership Team had the chance to meet with the surveyors on Sunday, June 19 to review the key elements of the accreditation survey and to discuss issues of interest.

The Network should receive a preliminary results report on Friday, June 24 and a final report a few weeks later.

Highlights and achievements from 2021−2022:

Optimizing the public’s health and wellness

  • Redirection of non-urgent cases from Emergency to the community
  • New patient mobilization program
  • Innovative mental health services delivery model

Promoting participation by patients, clients and their loved ones in improving continuous and integrated care and services

  • Patient partner recruitment
  • New Post-Stroke Navigation Program

Providing an attractive environment for recruitment and retention

  • Recruitment: acquiring the talents we need
  • Retention: maintaining our current staff and preparing the next generation of workers

Adopting a proactive approach with our partners to better meet the public’s needs

  • Launch of a phlebotomy training program in partnership with CCNB
  • Signature of a memorandum of understanding with the Wolastoqey First Nations

Optimizing our buildings, equipment and technology

  • Opening of a provincial public health laboratory at the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre
  • Introduction of telepathology
  • Our major building projects underway:
    • Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre: last construction phase of a new step-down unit;
    • Expansion of the Chaleur Regional Hospital in Bathurst;
    • Live-In Addiction and Concurrent Disorder Treatment Centre in Campbellton.

Applying a learning approach in our continuous quality improvement organizational culture

  • Network named one of Canada’s Top 40 Research Hospitals
  • Edmundston Regional Hospital receives national recognition for sound management of its resources
  • Accreditation Canada best practice – mass screening session
  • Flourishing of research with Vitalité Health Network

Network’s financial result

For the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022, the Network’s total revenue was $849,708,055 and its operating expenses were the same, which translates into a balanced operating result before adjustments.

After adjustments related to year-end adjustments for previous years, capital revenues for equipment purchasing, amortization of capital assets and accrued sick leave benefits, the Network's financial statements show a net accounting deficit of $13,925,687.

COVID-19 pandemic and thanks

In its 2021–2022 overview, the Network underlined that the second year of the pandemic had continued to affect all aspects of people’s lives and had placed the health care system under extreme stress. “First of all, we must keep in mind that the pandemic is a human tragedy of planetary proportions that has taken the lives of far too many Canadians and fellow New Brunswickers,” Dr. Desrosiers stated.

The Network has shown its adaptability and flexibility. As the successive waves crested, we raised our alert level and reduced certain services in order to accommodate an eventual influx of patients. The pandemic has strengthened existing partnerships between various health system partners and has been the basis for forging new partnerships.

The Network sincerely thanks all its patients and their families and loved ones for their patience and understanding as we have coped with the difficulties caused by the pandemic over the past year. “Our priority is to ensure that people have access to quality health care, and you can rest assured that we will continue taking all necessary steps to meet this priority,” Dr. Desrosiers added.

If New Brunswickers can have confidence in the Network and the care that we provide, it’s in large part thanks to the dedication, commitment and professionalism of all our health care workers and physicians. “Their days have been marked by countless sacrifices – both personal and professional – caused by COVID-19. We salute their courage, resilience and flexibility and their determination to do quality work for all patients. We want to thank them for the enormous contribution they have made, which has not gone unnoticed,” Dr. Desrosiers concluded.