On November 5 and 6, 2026, the New Brunswick Medical Society and the Government of New Brunswick will host the Summit on Population Health and Well-Being, bringing together leaders from across the province to explore how improving the conditions that shape health can lead to better outcomes for New Brunswickers.
The two-day Summit will gather physicians, clinicians, public-sector leaders, municipalities, community organizations and health-system partners for keynote remarks, panels, data presentations and facilitated conversations.
Keynote and featured remarks include Travis McDonogh of Wellnify.ai, Premier Susan Holt in a fireside chat with four-time Olympic medalist Courtney Sarault of Moncton, and presentations by Dr. Yves Léger and Dr. Jennifer Russell on the current state of population health in New Brunswick.
For physicians, the conversation is both familiar and urgent. Every day, they see the effects of factors outside clinical care, including housing instability, food insecurity, limited access to recreation and transportation, social isolation, chronic disease risk factors, mental health pressures and increasingly complex patient needs.
The Summit is designed to support that kind of collaboration.
The event opens Thursday, November 5, with an evening reception, keynote presentation and fireside chat. The following day, participants will gather at the Fredericton Convention Centre for a full-day program on the state of population health, drivers of change and prevention work already underway across New Brunswick.
A central objective is to move from discussion to shared understanding. Through facilitated breakout sessions, participants will identify current initiatives, gaps, barriers, enablers and priority actions to support future progress.
A featured panel, Advancing Prevention and Population Health: What Works Across New Brunswick, moderated by René Boudreau, will highlight community-led examples in food security, housing, healthy communities, Indigenous health, inclusion and youth mental health.
Summit outcomes will be captured in a public report, including a map of current initiatives and shared recommendations to guide future action. The report is intended as a practical, accessible resource for physicians, government, community partners and decision-makers.
The Summit also reflects the NBMS’s broader advocacy role. As the professional association representing physicians and medical learners in New Brunswick, the NBMS continues to advocate for a health system that addresses immediate pressures while also advancing prevention, healthy public policy, health equity and community well-being.
By convening partners across medicine, government, public health, municipalities and the community sector, the NBMS hopes to support a more coordinated conversation about improving health outcomes. The Summit is not a physician-only event; it recognizes that physicians are essential partners in a broader effort to build healthier communities.
For members, the Summit offers an opportunity to bring clinical insight to a province-wide discussion on prevention and well-being. Physicians can help ground the conversation in the realities of front-line care while supporting broader collaboration on shared solutions.
Improving population health is complex work, and no single organization or sector can do it alone. The Summit is an opportunity to bring the right partners together, strengthen relationships and identify practical ways to support healthier people and communities across New Brunswick. For more details or to register, visit the Summit on Population Health and Well-Being website: HOME – Summit on Population Health & Well-Being.
Nora Lacey, Chief of Physician & Patient Engagement
