More patients receiving hip and knee replacements sooner, as Horizon eliminates waitlist for patients waiting a year or more

All New Brunswickers deserve accessible and quality health care and a positive patient experience, and this initiative is one example of how Horizon is committed to providing that every day

(HORIZON) – More New Brunswick patients are receiving hip and knee replacements sooner, as Horizon Health Network (Horizon) has eliminated the waitlist for eligible patients waiting a year or more for these types of surgeries at its facilities.

As of Thursday, March 28, all patients waiting a year or more for a hip or knee replacement surgery have had their procedure completed, or they were offered a surgery. In December 2022, this waitlist was approximately 700 with cases continuing to roll over the 1-year mark each day.

To achieve this milestone, during the 2023-24 fiscal year, Horizon surgical teams completed 2,917 hip and knee replacements, 1,077 of which were long-waiting patients. This is an increase of over 700 surgeries from the previous year. 

Ensuring patients receive surgery as quickly as possible will result in better health outcomes and improved quality of life for patients, while reducing the potential of negative physical and mental health impacts that can come with prolonged waits.

“The fact that we have been able to clear the waitlist for individuals who had been waiting more than a year for their procedure shows our commitment to improving access to surgical services for patients,” said Greg Doiron, Horizon’s Vice-President Clinical. “We recognize there is still more work to be done as we strive to bring wait times for other surgeries closer to national benchmarks.

“I am very grateful for the tremendous efforts of staff and physicians who have made this possible, and I’m confident that we will continue to achieve progress as we work to enhance access to different surgeries for all of the patients we serve,” he added.

Eliminating the backlog of long-waiting patients for hip and knee replacements in just over 15 months was a core commitment of the organization. This led to the implementation of several initiatives of different size and scope, all of which played a significant role in optimizing operating room (OR) capacity and allowing our surgical teams to achieve this goal.

“Being able to deliver on this promise reflects our unwavering commitment to prioritizing patient care and addressing the needs of our community,” said Amy McCavour, Horizon’s Executive Regional Director, Co-Leader for Surgical Services, Intensive Care, NB Organ and Tissue Program. “I want to extend my deepest gratitude to our dedicated surgical teams, as well as allied health professionals and support staff, whose tireless efforts made this achievement possible.”

A small number of long-waiting patients were offered an appointment during this timeframe and were not available for surgery. These patients will be prioritized and booked in the near future.

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