Issue: Summer 2024

In an effort to assist physicians in providing New Brunswickers with the highest standard of health-care services while achieving maximum professional satisfaction and economic reward, regardless of area of specialty, practice style or renumeration model, the New Brunswick Medical Society (NBMS) has established the Practice Support Group.

The practice support program will focus on developing and supporting collaborative, team-based care, where teams work together to provide patient centered care. Envisioned as a one-stop shop for physicians and their clinics, the practice support program uses a coordinated approach to generate and provide up-to-date resources for New Brunswick physicians.

Reporting to NBMS Chief Operating Officer, Lisa LePage, the practice support team currently consists of seven uniquely talented and experienced members committed to interfacing effectively with professionals at all levels and collaborating with physicians and clinic staff to enhance organizational effectiveness, organizational change, and operational efficiency. 

  • Bruno de Passillé, Director
  • Angela Tauvette, Practice Improvement Specialist
  • David Ross, Implementation & Business Improvement Specialist
  • Jarred Lawson, EMR & Technical Support Coordinator
  • Roxana Cardenas, Practice Support Coordinator
  • Luc Blaquière, Practice Facilitator
  • Jenica Cormier, Practice Facilitator

This new team is leading the development, implementation, and ongoing delivery of a series of programs and initiatives designed to optimize the way in which physicians practice. They are able to support physicians and their clinical teams in becoming more efficient, creating more time for proactive patient care and chronic disease management, and adopting the principles of the patient medical home. 

This will be done by enhancing the use of health technologies, effectively managing patient panels, eliminating time-wasting tasks and providing general business support for all types of practices and at all stages of the physician’s career.

One of the first pieces of programming being offered by Practice Support is the Patient’s Health/Medical Home Expedition for Primary Health-care Teams, a nationally certified practice improvement program offered by the Health Innovation Group. This six-part Learning Series guides teams through high impact changes and provides them with tools, concrete actions, and support to make sustainable changes in their practice. 

The first NBMS Expedition program, led by the Health Innovation Group, begins in October 2024 and will provide physicians and health-care teams with a practical approach to implementing nine key elements of the Patient’s Medical Home (PMH).

The NBMS will be hosting the second of two informational webinarsin the fall of 2024 to provide interested physicians with an opportunity to learn more about the program. The NBMS Practice Support team and the Health Innovation Group will be available to connect with prospective participants and answer your questions. In the meantime, if you would like more information, please do not hesitate to contact atauvette@nbms.nb.ca.

The NBMS is also in the process of establishing the new Practice Support Advisory Working Group, which will help provide guidance on the start-up phase of the NBMS Practice Support Program for New Brunswick physicians. More information is available here or by contacting Emily Gaunce, Legal Counsel, at egaunce@nbms.nb.ca.

The NBMS is excited to be offering this new service to members, and the Practice Support Group looks forward to working with physicians to facilitate their transition to collaborative, team-based care and improve timely access for New Brunswick patients. If you would like to learn more about the program, please contact Practice Support at practicesupport@nbms.nb.ca

Jim Johnson, Communications Specialist