Business, health leaders explore collaboration at Saint John health-care luncheon
Health‑care professionals say investing in the workforce could help reduce demand for health services.
Last week, the Saint John Regional Chamber of Commerce’s State of Health Care luncheon brought together government, health‑care and business leaders to explore how industry collaboration could improve health care in New Brunswick.
The luncheon featured Health Minister John Dornan and Dr. Jennifer Russell, executive director of the University of New Brunswick Institute of Population Health, as speakers, and included a panel of health‑care professionals who answered questions from the business community.
During his speech, Dornan said that despite the government’s efforts to address gaps in the province’s health‑care system, it cannot do it alone.
“I don’t have all the ideas. I have a couple, but generally the best ideas come from outside our inner circles on ways that we change, modify and advance collaborative care teams,” he said.
Dornan said the province is still short of meeting its goal of attaching more patients to primary care, but noted the strategy is gaining momentum. He said better contracts for physicians and support for medical schools could encourage both current and new doctors to practice in New Brunswick.
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Like Dornan, Russell said investing in better working conditions — not only for primary care providers but across other sectors — could help address the province’s health‑care challenges.
“I think there are a lot of people in the game who have something to gain by taking pressure off the health‑care system,” she said.
Russell said collaboration and early conversations between sectors could help shape policy and legislation that makes New Brunswickers healthier, ultimately reducing demand for care.
“I think there are opportunities for discussion involving the business community, industry, entrepreneurs and business leaders,” she said.
Russell said there is no concrete strategy yet outlining how collaboration between industry, the health‑care system and government would look, but she hopes the luncheon will help spark those conversations.
She said she hopes the business sector leaves with an understanding that there are opportunities to “work upstream” to improve population health, and New Brunswick health care system.