Carol Reimer, a registered nurse and health-care consultant, was named chair of Horizon's board while Tom Soucy, president and CEO of Groupe Westco, was named Vitalité's board chair.

Soucy told Radio-Canada that his role will be "to see what my experience in terms of business management can bring to the organization."

This announcement comes after Health Minister Bruce Fitch introduced legislation in May to change the boards from a mix of appointed and elected members, to entirely appointed boards. It was criticized by the opposition, but received royal assent last month.

Reimer and Soucy will replace Suzanne Johnston and Gérald Richard, who have concluded their terms as trustees of the Horizon and Vitalité health authorities, respectively.

Johnston and Richard were appointed last July in a 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.

They have also completed their term as co-chairs of the provincial health plan implementation committee. They started in those positions in November 2021.

Each board of the health authorities will have seven voting members, and the new board members are:

Horizon Health Network

• Carol Reimer, chair, Zone 3.
• Dr. Stephen Bolton, Zone 3.
• Denis Goguen, Zone 1.
• Donna Redmond Gates, Zone 2.
• Susan Harley, Zone 2.
• Jane Nastasiuk, Zone 7.
• Mike Walton, Zone 2.

Vitalité Health Network

• Tom Soucy, chair, Zone 4.
• Julie Cyr, Zone 5.
• Réjean Desprès, Zone 1.
• Yves Francoeur, Zone 6.
• Jean-Claude Pelletier, Zone 4.
• Claire Savoie, Zone 6.
• Johanne Thériault Paulin, Zone 6.

In addition to the new board appointments, the province also announced the establishment of a health system collaboration council.

The council will be chaired by the health minister and include two representatives from each of the two health authorities.

Fitch made the announcement through a statement issued Friday.