How Fredericton’s knowledge industry enables healthcare transformation

The Fredericton Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with St. Thomas University, delivered Fredericton's Health Care Summit II at the Kinsella Auditorium last Nov. 13. (Credit: STU Communications)

On Nov. 13, the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with St. Thomas University, the City of Fredericton and the New Brunswick Medical Education Foundation, hosted the second annual healthcare summit at the Kinsella Auditorium.

The summit was composed of three panels where healthcare professionals, government officers and business leaders emphasized how Fredericton’s knowledge industry is shaping the future of healthcare.

“Whether it is a tech startup, a local craft distiller … or a public art institution, knowledge is the common thread that drives in relation, knowledge industry is not just a sector. It is the foundation of all others,” said Nauman Farooqi, president and vice-chancellor of St. Thomas University.

During the first panel, "United in Health: Reframing Barriers as Strengths in Fredericton,” Jennifer Russell, the executive director of UNB’s Institute of Population Health, said that improving healthcare involves investing in prevention measures that relieve the system.

“This pyramid of prevention really is about where you have the biggest impact in society, in the population. And up here at the top is where we have one-on-one clinical care and at the bottom is where we have social determinants of health policy legislation,” she said. 

Russell said that the first time she saw a community-based approach be successful was during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the healthcare system had the opportunity to implement policies and legislation to reduce the virus’s impact on the population.

“[T]hrough the pandemic, we saw the strain on the healthcare system. We worked together with all government departments and all stakeholders and community partners to flatten that COVID-19 curve,” she said.

“With all government departments having a mandate, having resources, having a budget and having accountability. I had never seen this in my career. It was quite dramatic. It's quite historic and so to see the policies come into play.”

Further into the discussion, officials mentioned that the majority of healthcare issues come from different factors such as transportation, infrastructure, housing, and public safety, among others. 

They emphasized that a prevention strategy and community approach are the key to tackling many health issues rising in Fredericton.

Laurie Guthrie, an economic developer from the City of Fredericton, suggested that the Community Prosperity Hub, a technology pilot program, is an example of a community-based approach that seeks to improve healthcare in Fredericton.

The Community Prosperity Hub, in partnership with more than 60 nonprofit organizations, showcases effective methods for measuring the Sustainable Development Goals proposed by the United Nations at the municipal level. 

The data provided by this platform strengthens resource allocation and helps secure funding for sustainability.

“This year, we're going to look at how we can leverage AI to conquer some challenges,” said Guthrie. “Some healthcare would be one of them, you know, access to affordable housing. So we're just looking at how we can look at some of the social issues and leverage AI to come up with solutions.”

Russell concluded the panel by stating that healthcare is an “economically huge priority,” where the “innovation and collaboration that we can put into place are really drivers of change.” 

“Talent and infrastructure are very critical levers in this work, and this panel is actually a great example of the alignment of resources and strengths of our community,” she said.