Official opening of outpatient cardiology services at the Stella-Maris-de-Kent Hospital
Sainte-Anne-de-Kent, June 8, 2018 – Vitalité Health Network officially opened the new outpatient cardiology services, which are now fully rolled out at the Stella-Maris-de-Kent Hospital, in Sainte-Anne-de-Kent. An official ceremony was held today with a number of guests and dignitaries in attendance.
This initiative is the result of collaborative work between Vitalité Health Network and the Fondation Les Ami.e.s de l’Hôpital Stella-Maris-de-Kent. A fundraising campaign had been launched last fall by the foundation to raise funds for the purchase of specialized equipment. The objective of the campaign was exceeded, much to the delight of the Chair of the foundation, Adélard Cormier. “The response to our fundraising campaign was extremely positive, with a grand total of $237,000, easily covering the cost of the equipment, which is slightly under $217,000. On behalf of the foundation, I would like to thank Vitalité Health Network and the population of Kent County for their amazing support,” he stated. The Network had committed to covering the renovation costs as well as normal operating costs, for a total of $350,000.
Gilles Lanteigne, President and CEO of the Network, indicated that he was happy to be able to help improve the provision of care to patients in rural areas. “This announcement fits perfectly with one of our strategic directions, as stated in our 2017–2020 Strategic Plan, which consists in ensuring fair access to care and services across the Network’s territory,” he indicated, also thanking the foundation and the numerous donors.
“It’s important to improve health care in the rural areas of New Brunswick in order to improve the quality of life of all our residents. Your government is determined to support health services in rural areas, and we are very fortunate to be able to count on tremendous local partners who are helping the government improve these services,” stated Health Minister Benoit Bourque. “The announcement of this project at the hospital is excellent news since it will strengthen the health care available in Kent County. I congratulate the community, the Hospital Foundation and the Network for the results achieved.”
As for physicians, Dr. Jean-François Baril, Cardiologist for Vitalité Health Network, explained the importance of this news for the care staff. “Cardiologists and the entire staff are very happy with the outcome of this campaign and they really appreciate the new cutting-edge equipment. We strongly encourage Vitalité Health Network to continue to develop outpatient services at Stella-Maris-de-Kent Hospital and we would like to thank all those who made this project a true success,” he added. The cardiologist explained that the Stella-Maris-de-Kent Hospital is now equipped with a diagnostic treadmill, a cardiac ultrasound device, a 3D probe as well as several cardiology-related pieces of computer equipment.
These new services have been implemented to reduce travelling distances for Kent County patients, who had made nearly 2,000 outpatient cardiology visits to the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre (2015–2016 data). Outpatient cardiology services, which have been offered gradually since the fall of 2017, are now fully operational, as renovations are completed and the equipment is in place.
From left to right: Adélard Cormier, Chair of the Foundation Les Ami.e.s de l’Hôpital Stella-Maris-de-Kent; Léona Bernard, Vice-President of the Foundation Les Ami.e.s de l’Hôpital Stella-Maris-de-Kent; Gilles Lanteigne, CEO Vitalité Health Netwotk; Joey Caissie, Chair of the campaign ‘Your Heart Clinic Needs You’; The Honourable Benoit Bourque, Health Minister; and Dr Jean-François Baril
