Vitalité Health Network surprised by New Brunswick Medical Society decision

Bathurst, Monday, December 4, 2017 – The recent announcement by the New Brunswick Medical Society to support the government’s proposal to entrust the Extra-Mural Program to Medavie has plunged Vitalité Health Network into confusion. 

It would appear that the Medical Society forgot an important player before making its decision public and speaking on behalf of its members. The importance of this matter argues in favour of including all medical groups in the decision-making process

Gilles Lanteigne, President and Chief Executive Officer of Vitalité Health Network, states that he does not understand the Medical Society’s decision.  “The Network’s Regional Medical Advisory Committee (RMAC) shares our point of view. This committee represents all of the Network’s doctors from all of the Network’s medical specialties and geographic regions.”

The Chair of the RMAC, Dr. Nicole LeBlanc, admitted that her committee had not been consulted.  “It would appear that the Medical Society forgot an important player before making its decision public and speaking on behalf of its members. The importance of this matter argues in favour of including all medical groups in the decision-making process,” Dr. LeBlanc declared.

Similarly, Dr. Rémi Leblanc, President of the Medical and Dental Staff of the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre, also recently confirmed that he had not been consulted by the Medical Society, although he alone represents almost 250 doctors. 

The Medical Society made its position in favour of Medavie public while at the same time asking the private-sector organization ‘to be transparent.’ I find it ironic that the Medical Society is demanding transparency from this private-sector organization while it appears to have difficulty showing this same attribute with its own members

The Network is currently attempting to determine how the Medical Society was able to come out in favour of privatizing the Extra-Mural Program without support from either the Regional Medical Advisory Committee or the Medical Staff Organization of the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont UHC, represented here by Dr. Rémi LeBlanc. “The Medical Society made its position in favour of Medavie public while at the same time asking the private-sector organization ‘to be transparent.’ I find it ironic that the Medical Society is demanding transparency from this private-sector organization while it appears to have difficulty showing this same attribute with its own members,” the Network’s President added.

The Network is now encouraging the public to support the efforts of all groups, associations and organizations opposed to the privatization of health care before the January 1, 2018 deadline for the official transfer of the Extra-Mural Program into the hands of the private-sector organization Medavie Blue Cross.