MESSAGE FROM HORIZON’S BOARD CHAIR
Following strong early progress in year one of our Strategic Plan, we are moving forward with momentum. Our focus remains on building a more integrated, sustainable health system that delivers meaningful improvements for patients, families, and communities across New Brunswick. Access to family doctors and timely emergency care are top priorities for New Brunswickers, and we are actively working to address these needs. We are expanding primary care, with a new Family Health Team in Perth-Andover announced in May, and nine more planned this year. We continue to learn and expand these teams while recruiting the health professionals needed to better serve the needs of each community.
Improving patient flow and ensuring care is delivered in the right setting is also critical. A key challenge remains the number of medically discharged patients in hospital who no longer need acute care but are waiting for community placements — at times occupying 41 per cent of acute care beds. Expanding long-term care capacity is essential, and we must continue working toward solutions to improve access across the system. We recently opened a third patient flow command centre in Miramichi, joining Fredericton and Moncton to enhance coordination across care settings and help alleviate overcrowding. At the Saint John Regional Hospital, a new Discharge Lounge is improving transitions from hospital to
home, while Horizon teams now complete long-term care assessments in five hospitals to streamline processes and reduce delays. Emergency department diversion teams are also making a measurable impact, helping avoid more than 460 hospital admissions and saving over 8,000 patient days — ensuring hospital resources are available for those who need them most. While challenges remain, we’re encouraged by progress and our teams’ daily efforts to put patients first. Through collaboration and innovation, we are strengthening our system and building a healthier future for New Brunswickers.
Susan Harley Board Chair
3 Report to Our Communities
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