Horizon to relocate some outpatient services to community sites in Fredericton, creating additional acute care space at Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital  

Some outpatient services will move to locations in the community, improving access to services and overall patient experience 

(FREDERICTON) – As part of Horizon Health Network’s (Horizon) work to increase access to services outside of its hospitals while also helping to address capacity issues at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital (DECRH), some outpatient services will now be offered at community sites in Fredericton.

By moving these services into community sites, Horizon can repurpose areas within the hospital to create additional capacity for acute care spaces to help address overcrowding pressures. 

“We continue to experience significant strains in hospitals due to the large number of acute care beds occupied by patients who are medically discharged but awaiting long-term care,” said David Arbeau, Clinical Executive Director, Operations, Patient Flow and Ambulatory Care. “To help alleviate this strain, we’re constantly assessing and identifying services that can be provided in the community to not only help with patient flow, but to also make it easier for patients to access our services.” 

Beginning Monday, April 20, the following outpatient services will be offered at community sites in Fredericton: 

• Electrodiagnostics and respiratory therapy services: Electrodiagnostics services, such as Echo exams, ECGs and EEGs, will be offered at the Fredericton Medical Clinic at 1015 Regent St. Additionally, Pulmonary Function Testing is now being offered at Horizon’s Woodbridge Centre, located at 180 Woodbridge St. 

• Blood and specimen collection: A new blood and specimen collection clinic will open at the Brookside Mall, located at 435 Brookside Dr., Suite A007. Services will be by appointment only. Patients can begin booking appointments now by calling 1-833-482-0774 or by using the online self-booking option.   

Electrodiagnostics and respiratory therapy services will continue to be offered at the DECRH for inpatients. Patients who have existing appointments have been notified of these moves. Patients booking appointments for blood and specimen collection will have the option to pick their preferred location when booking. 

Additional efforts to address overcrowding and improve capacity at the DECRH continue.  

Ambulatory care clinics previously located on the 4 West inpatient unit – including orthopedic, general surgery, and wound care – are being relocated to another area of the hospital, resulting in the creation of 13 additional acute care spaces.  

Work to establish 4 West as a dedicated clinical space for the medical transition unit – where patients admitted through the Emergency Department receive care while waiting for an inpatient bed – is progressing steadily and expected to be completed later in the spring.

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