November 2, 2005

 New Brunswick Eye Bank

Mary Gatien, Director, New Brunswick Eye Bank provided Board members with an overview of the role of the New Brunswick Eye Bank in Organ, Tissue and Cell Transplantation. The mission statement of the NB Eye Bank is to restore the gift of sight through the transplantation of corneal and ocular tissue and to facilitate the procurement of other tissues such as bone, skin and heart valves. Gatien also led members through the process of organ donation. “We can accept living donations of kidneys and liver segments,” she explained. “Cadaveric donations can include heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, pancreas and small bowel.”  In New Brunswick the NB Eye Bank handles the procurement of ocular tissue including corneas and sclera. The NB Eye Bank also procures other tissues in conjunction with the Regional Tissue Bank in Halifax. “We also procure autologous bone and skin donations and we participate in a surgical bone bank,” Gatien said. The NB Eye Bank also is responsible for the processing of tissue, sending blood samples to the United States for testing, storage of bone donations and placement of tissue. Gatien explained that the sensitivity of dealing with donor families continues to be challenging and she urges prospective organ donors to make their families aware of their wishes. AHSC chairman William Teed, Q.C. thanked Gatien for her presentation. “As a Board we are especially pleased at the excellence and innovation demonstrated by the NB Eye Bank. “This is not a separately funded service. Operation costs are absorbed by AHSC through its surgery program,” said Teed. He emphasized that this service is available to all regional health authorities in New Brunswick.

 Report of the CEO

Nicinski reported that the selection process for a new Clinical Information System is underway. Over the last 25 years, Atlantic Health Sciences Corporation has used the E7000 system as its clinical information system.  Between now and the February 2006, we will be going through a Request for Proposals process to select a vendor to replace the E7000 system, with the contracting phase happening between February and March 2006 and the implementation occurring between May 2006 and December 2009. 

Nicinski then reported on the methadone clinic. “During its first six months of operation the methadone clinic has admitted 68 clients,” she said. The objective of the clinic is to retain clients by using clear guidelines, strategies and treatment approaches. However, not all clients are able to remain in treatment. The current retention rate at the methadone clinic is 74 per cent.  Nicinski noted that results of a client survey indicate that the clinic should remain at Ridgewood Addictions centre in South Bay. 

Nicinski provided Board members with a report on AHSC’s performance in relation to AHSC’s strategic direction to Promote and improve the health of the population. The birthrate of mothers 19 years of age and younger continues to decline, while the number of patients receiving dialysis is increasing. The number of daily or occasional smokers in New Brunswick continues to be higher than the national average. The median wait time from admission to Emergency Department to leaving the Emergency Department remains below the Canadian average of 240 minutes at the Saint John Regional Hospital.

Finance Committee

 Other

• Reduced hours at St. Joseph’s Urgent Care Centre continue. We have successfully recruited one physician to work at the Urgent Care Centre.

• We are preparing for a preliminary visit by a medical oncologist, a site visit by a surgeon to Charlotte County Hospital in St. Stephen and we are having positive discussions with a physician interested in practicing on Grand Manan Island.