Vitalité Health Network physicians support the transfer of nursing home management to regional health authorities

Bathurst, Monday, December 9, 2019 – All presidents of Vitalité Health Network’s Medical Staff support the transfer of New Brunswick nursing home management to regional health authorities.

According to Dr. Luc Cormier, President of the Medical Staff Organization (MSO) for Beauséjour Zone, acute care hospitals are not appropriate living environments for our elderly. "The Beauséjour MSO supports and joins Vitalité Health Network's representations in favour of transferring the management of long-term care resources according to a global health care continuum," he indicated.

According to Dr. Nathalie Cauchon, President of the MSO for the Acadie-Bathurst Zone, patients wait far too long in hospital to get a place in a nursing home.  "The wait is sometimes more than a year!  They may become even sicker instead of recovering in a nursing home or with help at home. If health authorities coordinated these services, it would surely increase their effectiveness," she said.

Same conclusions from Dr. Warren Lyew, President of the MSO for the Restigouche Zone. “The benefits of transferring nursing homes to health authorities are clear: better continuum of care for a growing and vulnerable elderly population, improved acute care services for inpatients and better utilization of resources,” he added.

The four presidents urge all stakeholders in this matter to act quickly and implement the changes required as soon as possible. “The quality of life of our elderly and that of their families is at stake. We must ensure that we have the right patient at the right time and at the right place,” they concluded.