Charting the course to better meet the needs of our patients

Bathurst, Thursday, September 15, 2022 – During our annual appearance today before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, we presented Vitalité Health Network’s highlights from the past year to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick.

Gérald Richard, Trustee; and Dr. France Desrosiers, President and CEO In front, from left to right: Dr. Natalie Banville, Vice-President of Medical Affairs; Ghislaine Arsenault, Vice-President of Communications; and Brigitte Sonier-Ferguson, Vice-President of University Mission, Performance and Quality.
In the back, from left to right: Frederic Finn, Vice-President of Human Resources; Sharon Smyth-Okana, Vice-President of Clinical Services; Jacques Duclos, Vice-President of Community Services and Mental Health; Alain Lavallée, Chief Financial Officer; and Pierre Michaud, Regional Director of Planning and Budget.

Dr. France Desrosiers, President and CEO, was accompanied by members of the Leadership Team. She painted a realistic picture of the major issues and challenges affecting the health care system and the Network, especially the labour shortage and the effects of the pandemic on our staff, on the delivery of services to our patients and on the health and wellness of our communities.

Dr. Desrosiers underlined that the pandemic had forced the Network to review practices, to innovate and to reimagine the delivery of certain patient services. “Many of these changes have paved the way for new models that now meet people’s needs more effectively,” she explained.

This public accountability exercise called for information documenting the Network’s efforts. Dr. Desrosiers presented data illustrating the organization’s performance. Several of the initiatives discussed had improved access and reduced waiting times. These initiatives were just some of many examples of the Network’s major achievements.

Resolutely focused on the future, Dr. Desrosiers outlined the Network’s major priorities, namely in the areas of:

  • Patient experience and organizational performance – To improve the organization’s performance through a learning culture and a continuous improvement approach to the benefit of our patients;
  • Employee experience – To provide an environment that helps support, value and engage all staff members;
  • Community engagement – To encourage community engagement in order to better serve and better meet the needs of our patients.

The Network’s CEO stressed the importance of optimizing communications with the Network’s partners to promote community engagement and collaboration among stakeholders and, by the same token, their contributions to improving the health care system. “Productive meetings have already taken place and are continuing with representatives of our municipalities and communities,” she added.