Saint John luncheon focuses on N.B. health-care challenges

New Brunswick Medical professionals shared thoughts at a luncheon on where health care needs to go.

Officials in business, policies, health care and other fields packed into uptown Saint John’s Delta Hotel conference room to discuss the state of health care in New Brunswick.

The third annual event focused on shifting the conversation to what can still be done. Chamber of Commerce chair Serene Allen opened the luncheon sharing this year’s theme “Thinking Outside the Box.”

She says it reflects the urgency of the situation with the province’s health needs.

“The challenges facing our health-care system cannot be addressed through traditional approaches,” Allen told the room of more than 150 people. “They require new ideas, cross-sector collaboration and willingness to rethink how health care is delivered, supported and sustained.”

The two-hour event feature keynote speeches from Minster of Health John Dornan and Dr. Jennifer Russell, executive director of the University of New Brunswick’s Institute of Population Health. Russell also served as the province’s medical officer of health through the COVID-19 pandemic.

During her speech, Russell said she was targeting the business leaders in the room, saying many of them are working hard to meet the supply demands of the sector and asking them if there are ways services can be improved through either policy or legislation changes.

“There’s a lot of people that have skin in the game in terms of have something to gain in terms of taking pressure off the health-care system,” she says. “I think that collaboration and those conversations are very timely right now based on what’s happening globally.”

Pharmacists say they can play a bigger role in easing pressures on the sector.

Dr. Heidi Liston, CEO of the New Brunswick Pharmacists Association, says a recent pilot project undertaken by some province pharmacies on seeing patients for minor needs had 50 per cent of people seen on the same day and more than 80 per cent seen within two days.

She also points out how some are currently being trained to detect otitis media, which is a middle ear infection common in infants.

“Think about that mom, rather than having to go to the ER or in afterhours clinic and waiting for hours and hours and hours, they can go and have their child assessed. They’re back to work, back to their normal duties, potentially within the same day,” Liston says. “That’s a win for the patient.”

The luncheon comes a day after the province gave an update on the health-care state in the province.

Health Minister Dornan acknowledged the challenges facing New Brunswickers cannot be solved by the province and their collaborative care alone.

He agrees other providers like pharmacists could do more to help ease the pressures on the system.

“Lots of times when the patient comes in, they do not need to see the doctor,” Dornan says. “Perhaps they would rather see someone that knows all of their medications intimately and can suggest other viable alternatives.”

The minister says health care continues to be the number one focus for New Brunswickers, even more so than the near $1.4-billion deficit presented in the 2026-27 provincial budget.

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