{"id":404057,"date":"2026-04-30T00:05:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T00:05:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/404057\/"},"modified":"2026-04-30T00:05:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T00:05:11","slug":"new-doctors-hired-in-ongoing-effort-to-reopen-stella-maris-er-overnight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/404057\/","title":{"rendered":"New doctors hired in ongoing effort to reopen Stella Maris ER overnight"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Moncton to Miramichi<\/a>New Brunswick<\/a>The Issues<\/a>Health care<\/a><\/p>\n

Vitalit\u00e9 looks to develop its own telemedicine service to support Stella Maris ER<\/p>\n

Published Apr 29, 2026 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 Last updated 6\u00a0hours ago \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 2 minute read<\/p>\n

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\"Stella-Maris-de-KentStella-Maris-de-Kent Hospital, pictured here in this file photo, lost its overnight emergency department service in October 2025. Efforts are still ongoing to restore the service through the hiring of additional doctors and the possible creation of a telemedicine system. BRUNSWICK NEWS ARCHIVESArticle content<\/p>\n

Vitalit\u00e9 Health Network is making strides in its efforts to resume overnight emergency department service at the Stella-Maris-de-Kent Hospital.<\/p>\n

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Four new doctors \u2013 with three of those set to provide ER service \u2013 have been recruited for the region, according to Dr. France Desrosiers, president and CEO of Vitalit\u00e9 Health Network.<\/p>\n

Since Jan. 1, Vitalit\u00e9 has recruited a total of 17 physicians, with one departure, said Dr. Natalie Banville, Vitalit\u00e9\u2019s vice-president of medical affairs, who provided a recruitment update in French during Vitalit\u00e9\u2019s quarterly board meeting held in Moncton Tuesday.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is extremely positive,\u201d Banville said, of the fourth-quarter results, which cover the period through to March 31.<\/p>\n

This latest development continues momentum Vitalit\u00e9 experienced last year when it recruited<\/a> the largest number of physicians in a single year in recent memory.<\/p>\n

Vitalit\u00e9 saw a net gain of 41 new doctors after 18 departures were factored into the equation.<\/p>\n

A shortage of medical staff was cited as one of the reasons for Vitalit\u00e9\u2019s \u201ctemporary measure\u201d of eliminating overnight ER service<\/a> at Stella-Maris-de-Kent Hospital last October.<\/p>\n

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Six months later, the Saint-Anne-de-Kent ER is still admitting patients only until 5 p.m. After these hours, patients requiring urgent care have to travel to Moncton or Miramichi until the Stella Maris ER resumes its operations at 8 a.m. the following day.<\/p>\n

In an interview, Desrosiers told Brunswick News that Vitalit\u00e9 plans to resume overnight service at the Stella Maris ER within the next year.<\/p>\n

In addition to the hiring and onboarding of new doctors, Desrosiers said Vitalit\u00e9 is exploring the creation of its own telemedicine service to support the reopening of the ER overnight.<\/p>\n

Telemedicine uses technology \u2013 like video calls \u2013 to connect patients with physicians working remotely. It\u2019s currently used at two rural Horizon Health Network hospitals to support their ER operations.<\/p>\n

In February, Horizon confirmed that it had extended<\/a> its contract until the fall with Ontario-based Teladoc Health Canada, which has been providing telemedicine service at Grand Manan and Charlotte County hospitals.<\/p>\n

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Desrosiers told Brunswick News that Vitalit\u00e9 is exploring the creation of its own telemedicine system using doctors already within its own health network.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like Teladoc, but Teladoc is a private service and it costs a lot for the population, so we want to look at this kind of service that we can organize ourselves,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

In addition to the loss of overnight ER hours, Stella Maris has been without acute care beds for some time due to a lack of resources. The \u201ctemporary measure,\u201d which saw the gradual conversion of acute care beds to palliative and long-term care, was announced back in January 2024.<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, Desrosiers faced questions about the status of those acute care beds when she appeared before a legislative committee.<\/p>\n

Beausoleil-Grand Boutouche-Kent MLA Beno\u00eet Bourque asked Desrosiers if the acute care beds would reopen this summer if Vitalit\u00e9\u2019s plans went well. Desrosiers indicated yes, although she didn\u2019t give an exact date for when the reopening would occur.<\/p>\n

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