Horizon establishes new dialysis treatment program to serve more patients in the Moncton area

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.

MONCTON – Horizon has expanded its dialysis program and is now offering Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT) to patients staying at The Moncton Hospital (TMH), increasing access to this critical treatment and allowing them to stay closer to home when it matters most.

The Medical Surgical Intensive Care Unit (MSICU) team worked with Sherry Brooks, Nurse Educator, at Horizon’s Saint John Regional Hospital and Intensive Care Unit staff and physicians at Vitalité Health Network’s Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre, where CRRT is also offered to expand the program and begin offering it at TMH.

“The expansion of this critical treatment for patients with severe kidney dysfunction or acute kidney injury is a fantastic step forward for patients in the Moncton area,” said Greg Doiron, Vice President Clinical Operations. “This will not only expand access for patients but will also improve the overall patient experience by allowing them to stay in our facility for their treatment rather than transferring them to another hospital.”

CRRT is a type of dialysis that runs continuously over an extended period of time in order to gradually remove waste products and excess fluids from the body. This type of dialysis is often used in intensive care units for critically ill patients who may not be able to tolerate the rapid fluid shifts associated with traditional intermittent hemodialysis.

Work to expand the program began in May 2022, and the first treatment took place in October 2023. It is expected more than 40 patients will receive this treatment at TMH each year.

“I want to thank our dedicated MSICU team for all their hard work to expand and implement this program,” said Christa Wheeler-Thorne, Executive Director for the Moncton area. “I also want to thank our partners at Vitalité and SJRH for helping us. We couldn’t have done this without them, and thanks to their help, we’ve not only improved patient outcomes but have also set a new standard of excellence for our department.”

Horizon has a plan to improve health care in New Brunswick. Our plan is focused on retention and recruitment efforts and improving the overall patient experience by addressing patient flow and access to services. Further details about Horizon’s four priority areas are available at HorizonNB.ca.   This initiative also supports the Government of New Brunswick’s provincial health plan, Stabilizing Health Care: An Urgent Call to Action.

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