Horizon improving access to care by extending service at Fredericton Urgent Treatment Centre to three days a week

(FREDERICTON) – Horizon Health Network (Horizon) is pleased to announce its Fredericton Urgent Treatment Centre will now be open to serve patients three days per week.

Beginning this week, the facility will now be open on Tuesdays – in addition to Mondays and Wednesdays – including holidays, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. to better serve our patients.

The centre, located within the Brookside Mall on the city’s northside, opened in November 2023, and offers care to patients of all ages experiencing unexpected non-life-threatening illnesses or injuries requiring urgent, same-day medical attention and treatment.

The facility is staffed by health care workers from Fredericton area emergency departments, including the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital (DECRH) and Oromocto Public Hospital (OPH).

Horizon is committed to extending the Urgent Treatment Centre’s days and hours of service even further as staffing and space allow.

“The impact of the Urgent Treatment Centre on delivering accessible and high-quality care has already been significant, and we are proud to witness the positive outcomes it has brought to our community,” said Dr. Krishna Pulchan, Horizon’s Chief of Emergency Medicine in the Fredericton area.

“This extension of service reflects our dedication to meeting the evolving healthcare needs of our residents, and I want to express my sincere appreciation to the physicians and staff at the Urgent Treatment Centre for their relentless commitment and dedication. Their hard work has been instrumental in making this initiative a success, and it is a testament to their professionalism and compassion.”

People experiencing a variety of urgent to moderate medical needs – such as nausea, vomiting, flu-like symptoms, minor cuts and abrasions requiring stitches, sprains, strains and sports injuries, ear, nose and eye problems, allergic reactions, skin conditions and a variety of other acute medical conditions – should present to the centre, which also provides on-site X-ray services, rather than the emergency department.

In just over two months of operation, the centre has provided care for over 800 patients, with daily registrations ranging from 50 to 70 patients.

Adopting a patient-centered approach, the centre continues to operate on a first-come, first-served basis (no appointment required).

Over time, the centre will transition to a more traditional triage model, where patients experiencing the most acute medical needs, in accordance with the Canadian Triage Acuity Scale (CTAS), would be seen first.

Anyone experiencing symptoms such as chest pains, shortness of breath, signs of a stroke, severe injuries or mental health concerns should call 911 or present to the nearest emergency 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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