Highlights of the Board of Directors’ 2019–2018 annual general meeting and regular public meeting

Bathurst, June 23, 2020 – The Board of Directors of Vitalité Health Network held its 2019–2020 annual general meeting as well as a regular public meeting on Tuesday, June 23, 2020 via a remote online conferencing system.

As part of the 2019–2020 annual general meeting, Michelyne Paulin, Chairperson of the Board of Directors, and Gilles Lanteigne, President and Chief Executive Officer of Vitalité Health Network, provided a summary of the activities and achievements of the past year.

Retirement of the President and Chief Executive Officer

Ms. Paulin provided an update on the replacement of the President and CEO, who will retire at the end of October 2020. She explained that the process was already well underway and that a specialized firm had been hired by the Department of Health to help with recruitment. “A selection committee, of which I am a member, was created to manage the various steps of the process,” said the Chairperson. “I work closely with the Department to be able to present recommendations to the Minister of Health as soon as possible.”

Strategic initiatives and governance

The Chairperson noted that the Network had developed a new three-year strategic plan entitled “Together, Toward a Healthy Future.”  According to her, the importance of this management tool is not to be underestimated.  “It helps to clearly define our vision, identify the best strategies to meet our objectives, optimize our resources, and plan and control our successes.”  The plan is the culmination of extensive consultations and reflects our desire in recent years to transform and modernize the health care system in order to meet the public’s actual needs.  “It enables us to update our services based on pre-determined values and provides us with a road map for the next three years,” said Ms. Paulin.

Research, training and specialized services

In 2019-2020 the Network signed formal agreements for the management of the New Brunswick Centre for Precision Medicine (NBCPM) with the two project partners, namely the Université de Moncton and the Atlantic Cancer Research Institute (ACRI).  In September 2019, the Network was mandated by the Department of Health to develop and offer genetic medicine services to the entire population of New Brunswick.

Specialized mental health services

The Network is pursuing it efforts to transform the Restigouche Hospital Centre (RHC) into a modern mental health care facility. Follow-up is being done regularly in collaboration with George Weber, national mental health expert, and things are continuing to progress.

Surgical services

Several new initiatives were launched in 2019–2020 in surgical services. A new Bariatric Surgery Clinic opened at the Edmundston Regional Hospital. As part of a national project entitled Enhanced Recovery CanadaTM, the Network started implementing principles of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) at the Chaleur Regional Hospital. Finally, the Network undertook the necessary steps to transfer cataract procedures from the Edmundston Regional Hospital Surgical Suite to the Grand Falls General Hospital Ambulatory Care Department.

Major infrastructure projects and financial performance

Several major infrastructure projects continued or were completed in 2019-2020, including the construction of a new surgical suite at the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont UHC, the expansion of the Chaleur Regional Hospital and the New Brunswick Centre for Precision Medicine.

As for the Network’s financial situation at the end of the 2019–2020 fiscal year, revenues totalled $734.06 million and expenses $736.91 million, which translates into an operating surplus of $2.84 million before adjustments and represents 0.40% of the total budget.

COVID-19 pandemic

In her message, the Chairperson of the Board of Directors noted how much the last few weeks of 2019-2020 were deeply marked by a health crisis that is unprecedented in recent history.  “The COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on the health of our loved ones, on businesses on which we depend, on economic balance, and on the way we live our lives on a daily basis.  The health care system was hit very badly and had to respond quickly” she said.

The Chairperson praised the commitment and hard work of employees and physicians since the beginning of the pandemic. “I know that we’re not out of the woods yet, but I want to sincerely thank them for their phenomenal work so far. They are truly our New Brunswick heroes.”

The full version of the Network’s 2019–2020 Annual Report will be available online on Friday, July 10, 2020.

The next regular public meeting of the Board of Directors of Vitalité Health Network will be held on Tuesday, October 6, 2020, at 1:00 p.m., in Moncton or via a remote online conferencing system depending on the pandemic.