Vitalité Health Network’s staff excels under difficult circumstances

Bathurst, Thursday, July 14, 2022 – Vitalité Health Network is achieving excellent results in a number of sectors despite our labour shortage and the pandemic.  “All our teams are doubling down in the pursuit of our mission to improve people’s health and deliver high-quality health care and services.  I am taking this opportunity to provide some information on the advancement and results of several files we are working on,” explained the Network’s CEO, Dr. France Desrosiers.

Transparency and dialogue

First, Dr. Desrosiers reaffirmed that transparency is one of her major priorities.  “My door is always open for employees and people who want to talk to me.  I am happy to hear any concerns or potential solutions they wish to share. In fact, I had the opportunity to talk to many employees and hear their comments during the Leadership Team’s recent appreciation tour.  The wellness of our employees and patients is one of my ongoing priorities,” she affirmed.

Did you know that...

  • We have hired 275 students to support our teams this summer.
  • We have prepared our first cohorts for Nursing Support Services training with CCNB this fall.
  • We are just back from our first overseas mission that opened the door to approximately 50 hires.
  • Oncology patients at the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre (UHC) are continuing to see specialists and get their treatments within set timelines and in accordance with safety and quality standards despite our workforce challenges.  
  • The waiting lists for mental health and addiction services have dropped by 60 percent for the Network as a whole, have even been completely eliminated in certain regions, and have a client satisfaction rate of 94 percent.
  • The Network’s waiting times for hip and knee surgeries are continuing to drop. For hip replacements, for example, 71 percent of patients are getting their surgeries within six months.  Furthermore, the Network’s performance is above the provincial level of 55.9 percent. The provincial health plan has the objective of eliminating waits longer than one year; we are currently under 2 percent and this rate is dropping every quarter for hip and knee surgeries.

People’s commitment on the ground

The Network’s CEO strongly believes that our employees’ commitment in all departments is one of our great strengths.  “Our Network employees are part of the solution.  Thanks to their expertise and skills, we are putting best practices in place – always based on a continuous improvement approach,” Dr. Desrosiers continued.

Did you know that...

  • The team at the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont UHC is actively involved in an improvement project to optimize its performance and improve the quality of care provided to the public.  The results will be available within the next few months.
  • The Chaleur Regional Hospital has exemplary performance managing its length of stay.  Their process will be evaluated so that the lessons learned can be shared and the best practices of the Chaleur Regional Hospital team can be replicated across the Network.

Engaging communities

Finally, Dr. Desrosiers reiterated the importance of engaging communities in the pursuit of the Network’s mission.  “We must continue getting closer to our communities and maintaining ties with our various stakeholders to pursue our mission.  Thanks to their involvement, they are also part of the solution,” she explained.

Did you know that...

  • The concept of healthy learning communities is taking shape in the Restigouche and Kent regions.  Based on the success of the Community Health Centre Advisory Committee in Lamèque, the concept consists of working closely with communities to identify needs, priorities and best practices and jointly develop and implement solutions by and for communities. Other regions are showing interest, and we will be meeting with them in the next few months.

“I am very proud of the Network’s performance and want to thank all our employees, partners and communities for their commitment and hard work to improve the health of all our residents.  We will continue building a better future together.  Kudos and thank you for your dedication and tireless efforts. Take advantage of the summer for a well-deserved chance to recharge,” Dr. Desrosiers said.

The Network’s CEO concluded by reiterating the organization’s commitment to continue informing the public in coming months about the various initiatives underway.