Regular Public Meeting of the Board of Directors – Highlights

Moncton, le mardi 27 octobre 2026 – The Board of Directors held its regular public meeting on Tuesday, October 27, in Moncton. Here are the highlights of the meeting.

Report from the President and CEO

In her report, Dr. France Desrosiers, President and CEO, presented the progress made over the past few months, including:

• The continued development of local family health teams, with 35 active teams across the Network’s four zones, including 18 offering timely access to care within 48 hours;
• The modernization of hospital infrastructure, including the inauguration of new facilities at Chaleur Regional Hospital and the addition of 10 beds at Enfant-Jésus RHSJ† Hospital in Caraquet;
• Encouraging recruitment results, with 55 physicians hired since the beginning of the year, compared to 15 departures;
• The rollout of a new emergency department wait-time display tool and the integration of an artificial intelligence-powered conversational assistant into the SeamlessMD platform;
• The launch of the Regional Interprofessional Mental Health and Education Program (PRISME), aimed at strengthening health professionals’ expertise and improving access to mental health care.

The full quarterly report is available online on the Network’s website.

Testimonial: Strengthening Relationships with First Nations

The Board of Directors heard a testimonial from Noel Millie, a Mi’kmaw Elder from Elsipogtog First Nation, who shared his perspective on the relationship between First Nations communities and the health care system.

He emphasized the importance of acknowledging existing gaps in health care delivery and actively involving First Nations in finding solutions. In his view, this collaboration must go beyond consultation and enable communities to participate fully in planning and decisions that affect them.

He also highlighted that each Nation has its own cultural realities and that health care services must adapt to the needs identified by the communities themselves.

His testimonial reaffirmed the importance of dialogue, listening and genuine collaboration in building relationships of trust and providing care that is more respectful of First Nations cultures and traditions.

Community Relations: Continuing to Strengthen Ties with First Nations

During the community relations portion of the meeting, the Board of Directors also discussed the Network’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its relationships with First Nations.

Vitalité Health Network serves 10 First Nations communities across the province. This year, the community relations presentations are providing Board members with a better understanding of the health priorities and challenges specific to these communities, as well as the initiatives and projects being developed collaboratively to better meet their needs.

This approach reflects the Network’s commitment to maintaining dialogue, strengthening collaboration with First Nations and adapting its health care services to better reflect their realities, needs and perspectives.

The Board of Directors meets at least four times a year, and its meetings are open to the public. The next public meeting will take place on Tuesday, January 19, 2027, in Bathurst.