Privatization of patient care by the Government: the Extra-Mural Program should remain within the public system
Bathurst, September 1, 2017 - Following the announcement made by the Government of New Brunswick to go ahead with privatization of the Extra-Mural Program (EMP), Vitalité Health Network still believes that it would be better for the management and delivery of home care services to remain under its responsibility within the public system.
“The Board of Directors and leadership team of Vitalité Health Network are deeply disappointed with the decision made by the Provincial Government to privatize the EMP by merging it with Ambulance New Brunswick, which is managed by Medavie,” said Michelyne Paulin, the Chairperson of the Board of Directors. According to her, this decision is all the more surprising as it involves the fundamental responsibilities of the regional health authorities, as described in the Regional Health Authorities Act. “According to this legislation, the health authorities are vested with the delivery and administration of health care on their territory. As a board of directors, we are puzzled following this announcement,” she continued saying. “This decision clearly goes against the position taken by the Board of Directors in June 2016, at which time the Board had recommended that the Department of Health maintain the management and delivery of the EMP under the authority of Vitalité Health Network. The Board of Directors is worried about the ongoing erosion of its authority on elements under its responsibility within the health system,” stressed Ms. Paulin. Since June 2016, the Network has received considerable support from organizations, associations and municipalities across New Brunswick.
According to President and Chief Executive Officer Gilles Lanteigne, privatization of home care is somewhat withdrawing a powerful tool from the Network to achieve its mission, which is to excel in improving people’s health. “Our recent 2017-2020 strategic plan stresses the importance of improving primary health care services to harmoniously integrate them into the health system and ensure they meet people’s needs,” he said. According to him, the close ties already forged between the medical staff, hospital health professionals, and the EMP staff contribute to providing effective and quality care to the public. “Splitting the provincial health system up into several components will make it increasingly difficult for us to achieve expected results, namely in terms of quality, continuity of care, effectiveness and efficiency.”
The Network intends to do everything in its power to minimize the negative impact of privatization on its staff. “Our employees are our most important resource and we will be there to support them the best we can during the transition period,” concluded Mr. Lanteigne. The Network EMP has a workforce of nearly 300 full-time equivalents (FTEs), mostly nurses and health professionals such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, dietitians, and respiratory therapists. In 2016-2017, a little more than 207,600 home visits were made from the 11 EMP offices of the Network. Considered as a national leader in home-based care, the EMP provides short-term care, chronic care, palliative care, long-term care, and rehabilitation services.
