Highlights of the Board of Directors’ regular public meeting
Bathurst, Tuesday, February 6, 2024 – The Board of Directors of Vitalité Health Network held its regular public meeting on Tuesday, February 6, 2024.
Report by the President and CEO
In her report to the Board of Directors, Dr. France Desrosiers, President and CEO, provided an update on the priority issues over the last few months, including the following:
- Progress in the deployment of the new primary health care model. The two physician groups adopted in the Dieppe region were able to add 2,150 people to their patient lists, while reducing the average wait time for a first appointment.
- Recruitment efforts resulted in the hiring of 420 new employees from April to November 2023.
- The Enhanced Recovery after Surgery Program has reduced the average length of hospital stay by 3.1 days in the Acadie-Bathurst Zone and 3.9 days in the Beauséjour Zone.
Testimonial: creation of a patient committee at Restigouche Hospital Centre
At Restigouche Hospital Centre, creating the Eagles patient committee has given patients the opportunity to deepen the dialogue with staff and work on shared priorities.
John Oakley, RHC patient and Committee Chair, and Luc Poitras, Manager of Professional Services, talked about their participation in the initiative.
A series of meetings provided an opportunity to gather suggestions for improving the quality of life within the facility, increasing the number of activities offered and preventing violent behaviour. The creation of the committee is part of the culture change to place greater emphasis on patient recovery that is happening at RHC.
Appointment of a new Board member
The Board of Directors welcomes the appointment of a new member, Jacques Doucet. Mr. Doucet has a Bachelor of Business Administration, accounting major, from the Université de Moncton. He holds the professional designation of Chartered Professional Accountant.
Professionally, Mr. Doucet has been Chief Financial Officer and General Manager of Finance for the City of Moncton since 2018. As a member of the city’s Leadership Team, he manages budgets with total annual expenses over $300 million. As part of his responsibilities, he supervises the Finance, Revenue, Purchasing and Municipal Fleet departments.
“I welcome Mr. Doucet to the boardroom table. His experience and expertise will provide valuable insight,” said Chairperson Tom Soucy.
The Board of Directors meets at least four times a year and meetings are open to the public. The next regular public meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at 1:00 p.m., at 157 Water Street in Campbellton.
