Latest news with #JohnDornan
Global News
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Global News
Bees cause a buzz at New Brunswick's legislature
The summer months haven't slowed down the New Brunswick legislature's departmental building. Instead, it's been buzzing — literally. Thousands of yellow and black bees, climbing over one another and into two white rectangular beehives, have made their home on the top of the building. That's no accident. It's the result of a lot of planning from an unusual source: Health Minister John Dornan. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'Early one morning, when all the bees are home, we block off the entrance, put them in a truck, brought them up here, before the crack of dawn,' he said. Both hives come from his property, where he's been a beekeeper for over two decades. This year he decided to expand that hobby to the property at the centre of New Brunswick's provincial governance. Story continues below advertisement 'It does help pollinators in the area, and it shows a bit of an example of what New Brunswickers can do to help the environment,' he said. To learn more about the initiative, and the special guest who joined Dornan to exhibit the hives, watch the video above.
CTV News
18-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
New Brunswick funds pharmacists to treat more common ailments
Pharmacists in New Brunswick received public funding to treat three more common ailments, said a news release Friday. Patients can visit participating pharmacies for seasonal allergies, thrush and fungal infections – including athlete's foot, jock itch and ringworm – with no service fee, said the province in the release. 'These types of health concerns are within the scope of practice of pharmacists in New Brunswick, and we continue to value the role pharmacists can play in helping New Brunswickers receive the right care at the right time from the right health professional,' said Health Minister John Dornan. Pharmacists in New Brunswick can now assess and treat 15 common ailments with prescriptions, administer vaccines and provide other services. This helps reduce traffic at emergency rooms, walk-in clinics and other care providers, said the province. Patients are advised to contact their pharmacist in advance to find out what services are available since they are not mandatory. The cost of certain consultations is covered but patients are still responsible for the cost of medication. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTV News
09-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Fredericton creates strategy to recruit more family doctors
The City of Fredericton is supporting provincial efforts to attract more doctors with a welcome strategy that targets family medicine residents and medical students. The welcome strategy highlights the city's close community and quality of life through information and activities. The city's goal is to support Horizon Health Network and the Department of Health hire and retain more professionals in Fredericton. The initiative first began in 2021, but recently videos highlighting the benefits of living and working in the Fredericton region have been an added element. 'What new graduates want, and we've learnt from them, is what we are offering is collaborative practices,' said Health Minister John Dornan. 'Where you can work with other new graduates, senior graduates, mid-career graduates, as well as other care providers, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, physiotherapists.' Nearly four in 10 New Brunswickers currently living in the province's Health Zone 3, don't have access to primary care. 'The City of Fredericton resides in Health Zone 3, where only 63.5% of provincial population reported having access to a primary health care provider in 2024 according to the New Brunswick Health Council. The provincial average is 77.2 per cent,' a news release from the city said. In addition to provincial partners, the city is working with: 'As municipal leaders, we hear firsthand how the lack of access to primary care is impacting our residents and our local economy,' Mayor Kate Rogers said. 'Becoming engaged on the physician attraction file through promoting all our city has to offer is one way to support provincial partners as they work to recruit more healthcare professionals to the Fredericton region.' Fredericton city council contributed $10,000 earlier this year to the New Brunswick Medical Education Foundation to support scholarships for two family medicine residents who commit to working in Fredericton. With files from Avery MacRae For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTV News
26-06-2025
- Health
- CTV News
New Brunswick to spend $500K in support of new nursing education project
Health Minister John Dornan is pictured trying a virtual reality station at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton on June 26, 2025. (CTV Atlantic / Avery MacRae) The New Brunswick government is spending $500,000 to help the University of New Brunswick (UNB) create an extended reality education model for nursing students. The money will be spread out over three years and will go towards supporting the infrastructure, equipment and setup of the extended reality education model which will begin this September. 'This innovative enhancement will replicate real-world clinical experiences that students will face as registered nurses,' said Health Minister John Dornan in a news release from the province. 'This project will allow for powerful immersive learning experiences to meet students' learning needs and ensure New Brunswick continues to recruit and retain high-quality, qualified nurses for our workforce.' The extended reality education model can closely replicate clinical settings, and the province says it will enable students to 'acquire and refine their skills in a safe environment before applying them to real-life experiences.' University of New Brunswick The University of New Brunswick campus is pictured in Fredericton, N.B., on June 26, 2025. (CTV Atlantic / Avery Mac Rae) The clinical experience will include a simulation suite, medication administration suite, and 14 virtual reality stations at UNB's Fredericton and Moncton campuses. 'UNB's faculties are in the business of finding innovative ways to integrate new technologies in the classroom to elevate the experience and education of our students,' said Paul Mazerolle, the university's president and vice-chancellor. 'Having a devoted space with the technology to give students clinical experience before they go into clinical placements will be beneficial to our students, patients and the health-care system as a whole.' For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
CBC
13-06-2025
- Health
- CBC
Province paid Dr. John Dornan nearly $1.8M in settlement over firing as Horizon CEO
The provincial government ended up reaching a $1.8-million settlement with now-Health Minister Dr. John Dornan over his firing as the head of Horizon Health Network following the death of a Fredericton ER patient. That's 90 per cent of the original record-breaking $2-million payout Dornan was awarded by a labour adjudicator in his unjust dismissal case in 2023, which the province initially appealed. The amount of the year-old settlement was disclosed for the first time Friday in a written statement from Dornan. Both he and the province had to waive a non-disclosure agreement in order for the amount to be made public. "As I said during my campaign and now acting as a Minister of the Crown, I am committed to full openness and transparency with the people of New Brunswick regarding the outcome of this case," Dornan said in the emailed statement. "The total settlement awarded to me was $1,785,000, which was issued on April 18, 2024, with taxes appropriately withheld," he said. "At the time of my initial dismissal, I received $360,000, which was the equivalent of one year's salary for the position. All associated legal fees and taxes have been fully paid." The Department of Justice and Public Safety could not immediately say how much money the province spent on its legal fight with Dornan, or whether it's more or less than the $215,000 difference between the settlement amount and his original award. Dornan now earns $94,523 per year as the MLA for Saint John Portland-Simonds, plus $62,952 per year as the minister of health. At 'pivotal moment' in career He filed his grievance under the Public Service Labour Relations Act in the summer of 2022 after then premier Blaine Higgs publicly announced his firing as president and CEO of Horizon during a news conference. It was part of a larger shakeup of New Brunswick's health-care leadership following the death of a patient in the waiting room of the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital's emergency department in Fredericton. Darrell Mesheau, 78, spent about seven hours waiting for care before he was discovered unresponsive by a nurse around 4:30 a.m. on July 12, 2022. Dorothy Shephard was also replaced as health minister and the boards of both Horizon and Vitalité were removed. Dornan was only four months into his five-year contract when he was fired. He was "at a pivotal moment in [his] career," he said in his statement. He had served as interim president and CEO for about seven months when he agreed to take on the role permanently. He gave up his previous position as regional chief of staff for Horizon in Saint John and his endocrinology practice to do so. "Like any New Brunswicker whose employment is unjustly terminated, I pursued my right to file a claim for unjust dismissal," Dornan said. "Following due process, the courts determined that my dismissal was indeed without cause, and I was subsequently awarded a settlement for unjust dismissal." 'Mutually satisfactory resolution' In February 2023, adjudicator George Filliter awarded him special damages of about $1.8 million, representing the value of lost salary, pension contributions and health benefits, plus $200,000 in aggravated damages for "breach of the employer's implied obligation to act in good faith when dismissing him." It was the largest employment compensation award in the province's history, Dornan's lawyers said at the time. The province promptly requested a judicial review, seeking to have the award quashed. But Court of King's Bench Justice Kathryn Gregory upheld the labour arbitrator's decision and awarded Dornan costs of $4,000, plus HST and "reasonable disbursements." The province subsequently appealed, arguing Gregory "erred in fact and law." Then in April 2024 — just four days before the case was scheduled to be heard — the province dropped its appeal.
