At the end of July, the Vitalité Health Network lost two oncology specialists.
The specialists are both from the University Hospital Center Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont of Moncton.
Dr. France Desrosiers, president and CEO of Vitalité, said about 775 patients are affected.
The names of the two doctors have not been released. But Desrosiers said the affected patients will be contacted in a few days or weeks, depending on the degree of urgency. Some patients have already been contacted.
Desrosiers said the network is working to make sure patient care is not disrupted.
He said the team will review all patient files in a short period of time with current specialists to determine who is the best care provider.
Dr. France Desrosiers, president and CEO of the Vitalité Health Network, says efforts are being made to ensure that patient treatment is not interrupted. (Radio-Canada / François Vigneault)
“Whatever their specialist, they will contact them in the coming days, in the coming weeks and we will communicate the name of the new professional who will take care of them,” Desrosier said in an interview Monday in French.
Dr. Mark MacMillan, president of the New Brunswick Medical Society, said in a statement that the loss of the two doctors is “a worrying development” and “talks about the importance of recruiting and retaining doctors.”
“[We] will work with Vitalité and the Department of Health to find new candidates for these vacancies, and to address the short-term challenges that the loss of these specialists will pose to the hospital’s oncology department, “the statement said.
Vitalité has family doctors specializing in oncology in Dumont and four satellite centers: Edmundston, Campbellton, Bathurst and Caraquet. They all work as a team.
Some patients, depending on their location, will be redirected to their local satellite location.
Others will be seen by another Dumont specialist, depending on their treatments.
Other options are considered
Vitalité is also studying a possible collaboration with other oncology centers that can care for certain patients without affecting the quality or nature of their care.
The Horizon network is an option.
“Horizon and Vitalité have held preliminary discussions on this issue and we are mutually committed to staying closely engaged as the situation develops,” Greg Doiron, Horizon’s vice president of clinical operations, said in an email.
“We hope that by working together, we will be able to find creative solutions that will help mitigate any impact on cancer patients receiving the care of these two specialists.”
The network also plans to step up efforts to recruit new specialists.
“We’re always in active recruitment for the oncology department, because it’s a very active department,” Desrosiers said.
“The demand for cancer treatment, cancer diagnosis is growing and we anticipate that it will also grow in the coming years.