# Department of Health (New Brunswick)

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.

## 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:
* Horizon Health Network
* Vitalité Health Network

## Ministers

| # | Minister | Term | Administration |
| Minister of Health and Labour ||||
| 1. | William Roberts | October 4, 1918 – February 28, 1923 | under Foster |
| | William Roberts (continued) | February 28, 1923 – September 10, 1925 | under Véniot |
| 2. | Henry I. Taylor | September 14, 1925 – May 18, 1931 | under Baxter |
| | Henry I. Taylor (continued) | May 18, 1931 – June 11, 1933 | under Richards |
| | Henry I. Taylor (continued) | June 11, 1933 – July 12, 1935 | under L. P. D. Tilley |
| | William Roberts (2nd time) | July 16, 1935 – February 10, 1938 | under Dysart |
| | John B. McNair (acting) | February 10, 1938 – July 16, 1938 | under Dysart |
| 3. | Pio Laporte | July 16, 1938 – July 29, 1939 | under Dysart |
| | John B. McNair (acting again) | July 30, 1939 – March 13, 1940 | under Dysart |
| 4. | J. André Doucet | March 13, 1940 – September 27, 1944 | under McNair |
| Minister of Health ||||
| 5. | Frederic McGrand | September 27, 1944 – October 8, 1952 | under McNair |
| 6. | John F. McInerney | October 8, 1952 – July 8, 1960 | under Flemming |
| 7. | Georges Dumont | July 8, 1960 – July 4, 1966 | under Robichaud |
| 8. | Stephen Weyman | September 15, 1966 – November 20, 1967 | under Robichaud |
| 9. | Norbert Thériault | November 20, 1967 – November 12, 1970 | under Robichaud |
| 10. | Paul Creaghan | November 12, 1970 – July 18, 1972 | under Hatfield |
| 11. | Lawrence Garvie | July 18, 1972 – December 3, 1974 | under Hatfield |
| 12. | G. W. N. Cockburn | December 3, 1974 – December 20, 1976 | under Hatfield |
| 13. | Brenda Robertson | December 20, 1976 – October 30, 1982 | under Hatfield |
| 14. | Charles Gallagher | October 30, 1982 – October 3, 1985 | under Hatfield |
| Minister of Health and Community Services ||||
| 15. | Nancy Clark Teed | October 3, 1985 – October 27, 1987 | under Hatfield |
| 16. | Raymond Frenette | October 27, 1987 – October 9, 1991 | under McKenna |
| 17. | Russell King | October 9, 1991 – October 14, 1997 | under McKenna |
| | Russell King (continued) | October 14, 1997 – May 14, 1998 | under Frenette |
| 18. | Ann Breault | May 14, 1998 – June 21, 1999 | under Thériault |
| Minister of Health and Wellness ||||
| 19. | Dennis Furlong$^1$ | June 21, 1999 – October 9, 2001 | under Lord |
| 20. | Elvy Robichaud | October 9, 2001 – February 14, 2006 | under Lord |
| Minister of Health ||||
| 21. | Brad Green | February 14, 2006 – October 3, 2006 | under Lord |
| 22. | Mike Murphy | October 3, 2006 – June 22, 2009 | under Graham |
| 23. | Mary Schryer | June 22, 2009 – October 12, 2010 | under Graham |
| 24. | Madeleine Dube | October 12, 2010 – September 5, 2012 | under Alward |
| 25. | Ted Flemming | September 6, 2012 – October 7, 2014 | under Alward |
| 26. | Victor Boudreau | October 7, 2014 – September 4, 2017 | under Gallant |
| 27. | Benoit Bourque | September 4, 2017 – November 9, 2018 | under Gallant |
| 28. | Ted Flemming | November 9, 2018 – September 29, 2020 | under Higgs |
| 29. | Dorothy Shephard | September 29, 2020 – July 15, 2022 | under Higgs |
| 30. | Bruce Fitch | July 15, 2022 – November 2, 2024 | under Higgs |
| 31. | John Dornan | November 2, 2024 – Present | Under Holt |
$^1$ Furlong was Minister of Health and Community Services until March 23, 2000 after which he was Minister of Health and Wellness.