Bruce Fitch, NB Minister of Health discusses healthcare pressures in the province
Health care in Atlantic Canada is under significant pressure on many fronts. There is a growing shortage of health care professionals, and the talent pipeline is not keeping up. The cost-of-service delivery is rising fast. Technology is changing how health care is delivered and managed and, to top it off, the region is experiencing unprecedented population growth. Bruce Fitch, the Minister of Health for the Government of New Brunswick, joins us this week to discuss what his department is doing to cope with these pressures. We discuss everything from the expanded role of international talent in the workforce to the role of virtual health care. Minister Fitch weighs in on ways to reduce ER wait times, the expanding role of pharmacists, and what needs to be done to help address the mental health challenges in New Brunswick.