New Brunswick Medical Society Brings Together Health-care Stakeholders for NBMS Health Summit in St. Andrews
Fredericton, NB – June 2, 2025 – Across Canada, and especially here in New Brunswick, we are seeing the growing impact of chronic conditions, health inequities, and overall health system strain. Now more than ever, it is crucial to shift our focus upstream, to invest in prevention, and to build systems that support the health of entire populations, not just the treatment of illness.
It is clear to any physician practicing medicine in New Brunswick today that we will not recruit, transform or innovate our way out of what is an accelerating health crisis in our province without looking way beyond, and way before, our hospitals or physician offices come into play.
To that end, the New Brunswick Medical Society (NBMS) was pleased to host, in partnership with the New Brunswick College of Family Physicians (NBCFP), the first NBMS Health Summit in St. Andrews on May 30th and 31st, featuring a diverse and engaging lineup of speakers who helped guide our discussions around the weekend’s overarching themes of population health and preventive care.
We had the opportunity to hear from thought leaders, clinicians, community advocates and policy experts including Premier Susan Holt, leading national health columnist André Picard, and renowned physician, nutritionist and writer Dr. David Katz, a specialist in preventive medicine and lifestyle medicine. These and all of the expert panelists did an exceptional job of outlining how stakeholders can work together to create a health-care system that is proactive rather than reactive, equitable and cohesive rather than fragmented, and most importantly, focused on the long-term well-being of our citizens.
“Population health challenges us to look beyond individual symptoms and consider the broader factors – social, economic, environmental, et cetera – that influence outcomes across communities. It requires us to think big, collaborate widely, and act with purpose”, said NBMS President, Dr. Lise Babin. “Preventive care reminds us that many of the most pressing health issues we face, such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity, mental health challenges, can be significantly reduced with the appropriate investments, policies, and programs in place.”
The NBMS wants to thank the NBCFP and all participants for their active engagement and valuable contributions throughout the Summit. We look forward to finding additional opportunities to work together, to learn from one another, to challenge assumptions, and ultimately, to improve health outcomes for New Brunswickers.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Jim Johnson, NBMS
media@nbms.nb.ca
506-260-2726
About the NBMS
Founded in 1867, the New Brunswick Medical Society (NBMS) is the professional association representing and serving all 2,000+ practising, future, and retired physicians in the province. The mission of the NBMS is to advance the interests of physicians and improve the health-care system in New Brunswick for the benefit of patients. Our vision is physicians leading positive change for the growth and enhancement of the health-care system and improved health of New Brunswickers.