$24-million savings on an annualized basis

Bathurst, February 26, 2013 – Rino Volpé, President and CEO of Vitalité Health Network, is undertaking his mandate announcing a 6%-human resources reduction plan over three years. This represents 400 employees out of a total workforce of 6,728 full time equivalents (FTEs). Once it is implemented, this one measure alone will result in $24-million savings on an annualized basis while maintaining health care services provided. The first part of this human resources adjustment plan provides for a reduction of 200 positions (FTEs) as of the first year of this three-year plan.

“We strive to perform these reductions by focusing on attritions and retirements as much as we can, which represent a 4%-annual turnover rate, or 240 positions,” according to Mr. Volpé. “We will do everything we can to minimize talent losses by focusing on greater workforce needs planning and improved talent management within our current organization,” stated the President and CEO.

These changes respect the guiding principles that must drive the renewal and rebuild New Brunswick's health care system. This system must be citizen-focused, aligned, integrated, affordable, sustainable, and innovative.

“Senior management and the entire administrative sector must set the tone for the health system renewal,” stated Mr. Volpé. By unveiling the senior management organizational chart, the President and CEO preaches by example reducing the number of vice-presidents from 8 to 3. The role of headquarters is reviewed in order to better serve its purpose in terms of strategic planning and decision support. The three VPs who remain will support the work of the four executive directors of acute care facilities who were already part of the previous senior management team. Mr. Volpé is assigning them new responsibilities and a new title, i.e. Chief Operating Officer (COO) in each of the four Network zones.

Chief operating officers will be responsible for all facilities and clinical programs in each of the four Network zones. From now on the medical director, professional services, nursing, rehabilitation, diagnostic, therapeutic services, community services and support services will all report to COOs in the zones. To ensure harmonization, integration, and standardization, each COO will be assigned some Network files.

“This new senior management structure will bring decision making closer to the population served in each zone and put the emphasis on accountability in our operations and delivery of care and services,” according to Mr. Volpé. The latter sees this new structure as a recognition of the rurality and diversity of communities found within Vitalité Health Network.

Mr. Volpé says he is convinced that this new organizational structure will enhance engagement by the staff and physicians in each zone. On the regional level, Mr. Volpé forms a clinical care advisory committee that will be chaired by Dr. Louis-Marie Simard, Medical Director in Zone 1B, and made up of medical directors from zones 4, 5 and 6. This Committee will report directly to the President and CEO and will advise the senior management team on clinical services planning.

The new senior management team will be made up of:

  • Rino Volpé, President and CEO;
  • Richard Losier, Chief Operating Officer, Zone 1B (Beauséjour);
  • Pierre Verret, Chief Operating Officer, Zone 4 (Northwest);
  • Jacque Duclos, Chief Operating Officer, Zone 5 (Restigouche);
  • Stéphane Legacy, Chief Operating Officer, Zone 6 (Acadie-Bathust);
  • Gisèle Beaulieu, Vice-President of Planning and Organizational Development;
  • Annette LeBouthillier, Vice-President of Quality, Professional Practice, and Public Health;
  • Alain Béchard, Vice-President of Finance.

Mr. Volpé takes the opportunity to thank the individuals who up to this date held senior management positions for their work and dedication within Vitalité Health Network.

This reorganization of the senior management team is in line with one of the six strategic goals of the health care system as mandated by the Government of New Brunswick, i.e. review administrative structures to boost their effectiveness and efficiency. In the next few weeks, each COO and VP will review their administrative positions in order to make the savings identified in the Government Renewal Plan.