Horizon’s 2023-24 Annual Report highlights commitment to improving the health care system through innovation and accountability

(MIRAMICHI) – Horizon Health Network (Horizon) has released its 2023-24 Annual Report, highlighting the innovative solutions the organization is implementing to address New Brunswick’s complex health care challenges.

“Like health care organizations across the country and around the world, Horizon faces issues that include an aging population, recruitment challenges, a high demand for accessible primary care and a significant number of alternate level of care patients in our hospitals,” said Horizon President and CEO, Margaret Melanson. “We recognize that these challenges won’t be solved overnight, but we are proud of the progress Horizon has made in 2023-24 toward modernizing and adapting to better meet the needs of our patients, clients and their families.”

The report includes updates on initiatives that fall within each of Horizon’s four critical action priorities, including:

• Improving access to health care, specifically surgery services, emergency care, addiction and mental health and primary care services;
• Retention and recruitment of physicians, nurses and staff;
• Improving patient flow at Horizon health care facilities; and
• Creating a positive patient experience.

Melanson said that Horizon made progress on more than 50 initiatives within these priority areas in 2023-24.

“We are taking a forward-thinking approach to address some of the significant challenges we face with the help of our dedicated staff and physicians,” she said. “Over the past year, we have made remarkable progress in many different projects, including providing faster access to CT scans for stroke patients, introducing self-booking for X-ray appointments, providing self-referral appointments to primary care clinics and introducing cutting-edge technology to improve everything from training to surgeries to employee engagement.”

Susan Harley, Chair of Horizon’s Board of Directors, said Horizon is committed to continuing to share its progress publicly, and the Annual Report is one of several platforms that helps ensure greater transparency.

“We know New Brunswickers are eager to learn more about the work we are doing to improve our health care system, and we have made a commitment to be accountable to our patients, clients, staff and physicians, and the public,” she said. “That’s why we launched a public performance dashboard, updated monthly, to track and report on key indicators. We also continue to issue a quarterly Report to Our Communities to update the public on initiatives that address ongoing challenges in the health care system and better serve our patients.”

Financial Update

Addressing New Brunswick’s ongoing health care challenges and making system-wide improvements had a significant impact on Horizon’s financial operations in 2023-24. Compounding factors included addressing staff shortages, inflation, as well as the costs associated with improvements made to reduce wait times, enhance access to services, improve patient flow and increase recruitment and retention efforts.

In addition to these factors, the Annual Report highlights that nearly all of the health authority’s key activities increased in 2023-24, compared with the previous fiscal year. This includes 303,633 emergency department visits, compared with 279,372 in 2022-23; 638,729 acute patient days, compared with 590,251 the previous year; and 48,835 surgeries completed, compared with 42,344 in 2022-23. As a result, Horizon required an additional $106.9 million from the Department of Health in 2023-24 beyond its budgeted expenses of $1.51 billion.

Horizon’s financial statements were prepared by management in accordance with the Public Sector Accounting Board (PSAB) and were audited by representatives from KPMG Canada.

Horizon’s 2023-24 Annual Report is available here

About Horizon Health Network

Horizon is the largest regional health authority – and one of the largest employers – in New Brunswick, and the second-largest health authority in Atlantic Canada. Horizon ­­has more than 14,700 employees, 1,235 physicians, and 3,292 volunteers, as well as 17 foundations and 16 auxiliaries and alumnae organizations. Our leadership and health care providers are experts in diverse areas of acute and community services and provide services to half a million people. Horizon is also responsible for eight unique provincial programs: the New Brunswick Heart Centre, New Brunswick Organ and Tissue Program, New Brunswick Perinatal Health Program, New Brunswick Stem Cell Transplantation Program, NB Trauma Program, Operational Stress Injury Clinic, Stan Cassidy Centre for Rehabilitation and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit.

-30-