Department of Health (New Brunswick)

Last updated
Department of Health
New Brunswick Canada Logo.svg
Agency overview
Jurisdiction Government of New Brunswick
HeadquartersHSBC Place
520 King Street
Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
Ministers responsible
  • John Dornan, Minister of Health
  • Eric Beaulieu, Deputy Minister
Website www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/health.html

The Department of Health is a part of the Government of New Brunswick. It is charged with administration and delivery of public healthcare in New Brunswick.

Contents

History

The department was first established in 1918 as the Department of Health and Labour and gradually grew in importance, splitting in two in 1944 with one section becoming the Department of Health. It began to grow rapidly in the 1960s when Premier Louis Robichaud's equal opportunity program consolidated jurisdiction for health with the province as opposed to local governments and also with the introduction of public medicine in the same decade.

The department eventually came to be named the Department of Health and Community Services as it gained responsibility for new programs such as long-term care in nursing homes, local psychological services and so on. On March 23, 2000 when Premier Bernard Lord restructured the New Brunswick Cabinet. He split the department with the health delivery sections of the department becoming the Department of Health and Wellness, while the long-term care and community psychological services joined with other branches of government to form the Department of Family and Community Services. "Wellness" was included in the name of the new department to draw focus to that relatively new paradigm on which the government intended to focus. On February 14, 2006, it was again split with the Wellness promotion aspects being joined with the Culture and Sport Secretariat to form the new Department of Wellness, Culture and Sport.

Health authorities

The Department of Health funds two health authorities to deliver operational medical services in the province:

Ministers

#MinisterTermAdministration
Minister of Health and Labour
1.William RobertsOctober 4, 1918 – February 28, 1923under Foster
William Roberts (continued)February 28, 1923 – September 10, 1925under Véniot
2. Henry I. Taylor September 14, 1925 – May 18, 1931under Baxter
Henry I. Taylor (continued)May 18, 1931 – June 11, 1933under Richards
Henry I. Taylor (continued)June 11, 1933 – July 12, 1935under L. P. D. Tilley
William Roberts (2nd time)July 16, 1935 – February 10, 1938under Dysart
John B. McNair (acting)February 10, 1938 – July 16, 1938
3. Pio Laporte July 16, 1938 – July 29, 1939
John B. McNair (acting again)July 30, 1939 – March 13, 1940
4. J. André Doucet March 13, 1940 – September 27, 1944under McNair
Minister of Health
5. Frederic McGrand September 27, 1944 – October 8, 1952under McNair
6. John F. McInerney October 8, 1952 – July 8, 1960under Flemming
7. Georges Dumont July 8, 1960 – July 4, 1966under Robichaud
8. Stephen Weyman September 15, 1966 – November 20, 1967
9. Norbert Thériault November 20, 1967 – November 12, 1970
10. Paul Creaghan November 12, 1970 – July 18, 1972under Hatfield
11. Lawrence Garvie July 18, 1972 – December 3, 1974
12. G. W. N. Cockburn December 3, 1974 – December 20, 1976
13. Brenda Robertson December 20, 1976 – October 30, 1982
14. Charles Gallagher October 30, 1982 – October 3, 1985
Minister of Health and Community Services
15. Nancy Clark Teed October 3, 1985 – October 27, 1987under Hatfield
16. Raymond Frenette October 27, 1987 – October 9, 1991under McKenna
17. Russell King October 9, 1991 – October 14, 1997
Russell King (continued)October 14, 1997 – May 14, 1998under Frenette
18. Ann Breault May 14, 1998 – June 21, 1999under Thériault
Minister of Health and Wellness
19. Dennis Furlong 1June 21, 1999 – October 9, 2001under Lord
20. Elvy Robichaud October 9, 2001 – February 14, 2006
Minister of Health
21. Brad Green February 14, 2006 – October 3, 2006under Lord
22. Mike Murphy October 3, 2006 – June 22, 2009under Graham
23. Mary Schryer June 22, 2009 – October 12, 2010
24. Madeleine Dube October 12, 2010 – September 5, 2012under Alward
25. Ted Flemming September 6, 2012 – October 7, 2014
26. Victor Boudreau October 7, 2014 – September 4, 2017under Gallant
27. Benoit Bourque September 4, 2017 – November 9, 2018
28. Ted Flemming November 9, 2018 – September 29, 2020under Higgs
29. Dorothy Shephard September 29, 2020 – July 15, 2022
30. Bruce Fitch July 15, 2022 – November 2, 2024
31. John Dornan November 2, 2024 – PresentUnder Holt

1 Furlong was Minister of Health and Community Services until March 23, 2000 after which he was Minister of Health and Wellness.