New Brunswick Health Minister Refuses to Give Vote of Confidence to Vitalité CEO Amid Travel Nurse Controversy

New Brunswick’s health minister, Bruce Fitch, has sparked controversy by refusing to give a vote of confidence to Dr. France Desrosiers, the CEO of the Vitalité health authority, following a scathing audit of the health authority’s contracts with Canadian Health Labs.

The audit, conducted by Auditor General Paul Martin, criticized Vitalité for signing contracts with Canadian Health Labs that did not reflect best practices and did not demonstrate value for money. Martin questioned why the health authority did not seek bids from other companies and did not submit the agreements to legal review by provincial government lawyers.

Fitch echoed some of the criticism, stating that there were other travel-nurse companies with better terms that could have been hired. He accused Canadian Health Labs of “predator pricing” by taking advantage of the health crisis to secure advantageous terms.

Despite the audit’s findings, Fitch repeatedly avoided commenting on whether he believes the Vitalité board should terminate Dr. Desrosiers’ employment. He emphasized that the decision now rests with the board, which has the authority to hire and fire the CEO.

The controversy surrounding the contracts with Canadian Health Labs has also drawn attention to a separate contract signed by the Department of Social Development for travel nurses in long-term care homes. The opposition Liberals raised concerns about the lack of checks and balances in the contract and questioned why it was not put out for bids.

In response, Minister Jill Green defended the decision, citing the urgent need to address COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care homes. Fitch, who was the minister at the department when the contract was signed, emphasized the importance of prioritizing saving lives over procedural matters.

The refusal of the health minister to give a vote of confidence to the Vitalité CEO has raised questions about accountability and transparency in the management of healthcare contracts in New Brunswick. The fate of Dr. Desrosiers remains uncertain as the board deliberates on the next steps following the audit’s findings.