New ED diversion teams reducing avoidable hospital admissions across Horizon

Multidisciplinary teams connecting patients to community-based supports sooner

(HORIZON) – New diversion teams in Horizon Health Network’s (Horizon) regional hospital emergency departments are helping prevent unnecessary hospital stays and supporting Horizon’s broader strategy to reduce the high number of medically discharged patients awaiting placement in alternate care settings.

The multidisciplinary teams have been in place at Horizon’s Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital (DECRH) in Fredericton, The Moncton Hospital (TMH), and the Saint John Regional Hospital (SJRH) since late 2025, and at the Miramichi Regional Hospital (MRH) as of earlier this month. They provide rapid assessments to identify patients whose needs can be supported safely in the community rather than in a hospital bed.

“Many emergency department visits reflect issues that can be safely managed in the community, such as changing physical abilities, social challenges, or caregiver burnout,” said David Arbeau, Clinical Executive Director of Horizon’s Operations, Patient Flow, and Ambulatory Care Program. “Diversion teams provide the specialized assessments and connections to services that emergency department teams may not have the capacity to arrange as they prioritize traumas and other medical emergencies.”

Nurse patient flow navigators, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and social workers work closely with partners, such as the Department of Social Development and the New Brunswick Extra-Mural Program. Together, they create individualized care plans which include home care coordination, equipment needs, and referrals to community providers to prevent hospital admission and ease pressure on emergency and inpatient units.

At TMH, a geriatric diversion team is also being piloted, allowing for rapid access to a geriatrician when a patient presents to the emergency department in crisis and can safely transition home with the right intervention.

As of March 8, 2026, the diversion teams have helped more than 230 patients avoid hospital admission, saving more than 3,600 hospital days and an estimated $3.3 million, while helping to ease pressure on acute care capacity. It is estimated at least 20 per cent of those patients would have become medically discharged patients awaiting placement in alternate care settings.

Horizon’s hospitals continue to operate well above capacity. Currently, 37 per cent of acute care beds are occupied by medically discharged patients, most of whom are waiting for long-term care placement. This number peaked at 40 per cent.

“Horizon is investing in dedicated diversion teams so patients can get the focused assessment, support, and planning they need earlier in their care journey, before they end up admitted to a hospital,” said Greg Doiron, Horizon’s Vice President of Clinical Operations. “Helping seniors and vulnerable patients remain in their homes connected to the right supports can improve their quality of life and reduce unnecessary disruptions to care.”

The initiative is expected to divert approximately 600 patients per year and save the regional health authority around $8.6 million annually. The effectiveness of each diversion is monitored through 90-day tracking of emergency department return visits and readmissions.

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