New Intensive Care Unit in Fredericton will improve patient and family experience

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

(FREDERICTON) – The intensive care team at Horizon’s Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital (DECRH) in Fredericton will soon open the doors of their new space.

As part of a major redevelopment project in partnership with the provincial Department of Health and the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, the new Intensive Care Unit (ICU) will improve access to care as well as include quiet spaces for families while their loved ones are in critical care and needing this specialty service.

The unit is anticipated to be open to care for patients on Valentine’s Day — February 14, 2023.

“We are making significant infrastructure improvements at three regional hospitals to improve patient care and upgrade our space and equipment in order to retain and attract health care professionals — that is why we are pleased to announce the opening of our Intensive Care Unit in Fredericton which is one of many milestones to come,” said Margaret Melanson, Horizon’s interim president and CEO. “This new space is impressive and will greatly improve the health care experience for our patients, clients and staff.”

“The opening of new Intensive Care Unit in Fredericton is part of major new development for our hospital to make it a state-of-the-art facility where our multidisciplinary team of specialists can offer the best care available for our sickest patients,” said Dr. Zeeshan Aslam, Horizon’s Department Head of Intensive Care for the Fredericton area. “The new unit was developed with a focus on patient and family-centred care and to provide complex, critical care in a healthy environment with the incorporation of the best modern technology.”

“The construction of this unit is an important development in the delivery of critical health care for patients in the region,” said Health Minister Bruce Fitch. “Making improvements to provide the dependable public health care that New Brunswickers deserve is our government’s priority. Investing in infrastructure and increasing capacity in our hospitals across the province will provide new, modern facilities to help alleviate pressure on our system.”

The project will increase the ICU from eight beds to 12, allowing critically ill patients in our communities who require intensive monitoring, such as trauma patients and patients with other life-threatening illnesses. Each patient care room will be private, with its own bathroom and window. The unit will cover about 1,514 sq. metres (16,300 sq. feet) and represents an investment of about $21.75 million.

A dedicated ‘Bariatric Room’ (a room that is designed for patients weighing over 350 pounds) will provide a safer care environment to patients requiring this approach.

The ICU construction is part of a $250 million project to provide a modernized environment for maternal and newborn, surgical care, and day surgery that is expected to be completed by March 2024. Further renovation projects for ambulatory procedures, phlebotomy, and health records services are expected to be complete by 2028.

The new Intensive Care Unit (ICU) aligns with all four of Horizon’s priority areas — improving overall patient experience, access to health care, and patient flow, and retention and recruitment of physicians, nurses and staff. Horizon’s plan ensures all New Brunswickers receive the quality care they need.

This initiative also supports the Government of New Brunswick’s provincial health plan, Stabilizing Health Care: An Urgent Call to Action.