New Brunswick health authority boasts about improvements in hospital services

The president of one of New Brunswick’s two major health authorities says staff recruitment and retention is the biggest concern faced by the organization.

Margaret Melanson of Horizon Health Network says staff schedules — which often leave little room for work-life balance — are one of the main reasons causing nurses to quit.

1:22 Horizon Health hoping to ease backlog of knee and hip replacement surgeries

Melanson boasted to reporters about the millions of dollars being spent on the network’s 12 hospitals and more than 100 medical facilities, clinics and offices throughout New Brunswick.

She says improvements are being made to emergency care, surgery backlogs and mental health services.

1:32 Health network discussing 24/7 emergency services in Sackville, N.B.

Melanson says that “only” two per cent of patients who visit the emergency room at Fredericton’s Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital are leaving without being seen by doctor.

She says the health authority has seen a 70 per cent reduction in the wait-list for mental health services due to the introduction of single-session therapy.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 13, 2023.