Horizon launches an online engagement platform to hear patients’ and communities’ voices

(HORIZON) – Horizon Health Network (Horizon) values the voice of our patients and communities in the planning and delivery of our health care services and wants to hear from the public on how we can improve the patient experience.

To achieve this, Horizon has an online engagement platform: Let’s Talk Horizon, where patients, clients and family members can contribute their feedback and share their stories and ideas as it relates to their lived experience with the health care system. Let’s Talk Horizon is a dedicated space where we can create meaningful dialogue.

“Gathering feedback from patients and communities is an important step to ensure our health care system is continuously improving and reflecting the needs of our population,” said Margaret Melanson, interim President and CEO.

Over the past few months, Horizon’s Community Engagement team has focused on building upon the great engagement that’s already happening across Horizon and developed tools to support future community engagement efforts. 

“We know New Brunswickers want to be involved in the planning and delivery of health care to ensure it meets our collective needs today, and in the future,” said Sara Jane Vermette, Regional Director of Community Engagement. “Let’s Talk provides an easy-to use platform to hear from our diverse communities, on various health and health care topics. We look forward to hearing the feedback of our patients, families and communities, and how we can apply it to inform future planning”.

Navigating Let’s Talk Horizon

Let’s Talk Horizon, offers a number of ways in which you can engage. Our Community Engagement forum is where we are asking for feedback on how you would like to engage with us. Our Share Your Story section is where we are asking you to share your positive experiences with the health care system; or you can send in a story pitch to Horizon’s Communications and Community Engagement team.

When you log onto the site, you will see several Patient Experience Surveys, which are an opportunity to provide feedback on your care experience. Survey results are shared with respective programs and services to inform quality improvement.

Community engagement at Horizon is more important than ever. We are experiencing unprecedented health care challenges, and we are committed to working together, with our communities, staff and physicians, stakeholders and rights holders to address these challenges as a collective, because as we know, we are stronger together.

Improving the overall patient experience is one of the key priorities in Horizon’s plan to ensure all New Brunswickers receive the quality care they need.

This plan consists of three other priorities: improving patient flow at our health care facilities, as well as improving access to surgical and emergency services, and improving the recruitment and retention of health care workers. 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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