Moncton West Family Health Team will connect every resident and eliminate wait for care

$4.1M provincial investment establishes first family health team designed to provide immediate access while securing long-term primary care

(MONCTON) – A $4.1 million provincial investment has enabled Horizon Health Network (Horizon) to establish a new family health team in Moncton West that will connect every unattached patient in the E1E postal code area to primary care through an innovative model designed to meet both immediate and long-term health care needs.

Since opening in June, the Moncton West Family Health Team has already welcomed more than 200 new patients and, with the recent arrival of a new physician, is preparing to launch an integrated access clinic in the coming weeks.

“This team represents a significant step forward in how primary care is delivered and how we can provide a clear path to permanent attachment,” says Ashley Calvert, Horizon’s Vice President, Community. “This investment has allowed us to build one of the region’s most comprehensive interdisciplinary teams, improving access to services today while creating capacity to meet the needs of a growing community in the years ahead.”

There are currently 2,071 unattached patients from the E1E neighbourhood on the provincial registry. Over the next three years, the team is expected to attach 3,500 new patients, enough capacity to meet current demand and expand access to primary care for residents in surrounding neighbourhoods.

This investment has supported the development of one of the largest interdisciplinary teams in the region, uniting a broad range of health care professionals, including physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, patient care attendants, a physician assistant, a respiratory therapist, and a physiotherapist. Recruitment is underway to add a pharmacist, dietitian, social worker, a registered nurse and two licensed practical nurses.

All members of the team work together under one roof in a modern 11,000-square-foot clinic featuring 20 examination rooms and a dedicated treatment room. Plans are underway to offer minor medical procedures on site, helping to divert appropriate care from ambulatory care settings.

“This clinic represents the best of what collaborative care can deliver,” said Premier Susan Holt. “Its size, team-based model and ability to connect thousands more people to care, close to home, shows what collaborative care can achieve for New Brunswickers. This is the future of primary care and a model we’re replicating in communities across our province.” 

This team-based model of practice does more than just expand access to health care – it creates a stronger practice environment for health care providers, enabling each professional to work to their full scope while delivering coordinated, patient-centred care.

For Moncton West physicians and nurse practitioners, the introduction of this team means their patients can continue to receive uninterrupted care while they’re providing clinical leadership, education, and mentorship to medical residents and internationally trained physicians participating in New Brunswick’s Practice Ready Assessment (PRA) program.

It is this commitment to mentorship and workforce development that supports the next generation of providers and recently led to the addition of PRA physician, Dr. Jasneev Kaur, as the group’s sixth physician. Originally from India, Dr. Kaur has practised family medicine since 2017 and has been living in Canada since 2022. She will support the access clinic and has already begun onboarding new patients to her roster.

“What makes this clinic so important is the impact it will have on people’s lives,” said Health Minister John Dornan. “Thousands more New Brunswickers will gain access to a primary care team, and patients will benefit from a broader range of services delivered through one coordinated clinic. This is how we improve access, strengthen communities and build a more sustainable health-care system for the future.”

About Family Health Teams

Horizon’s transformative primary care strategy will establish Family Health Teams across the province, aiming to match all New Brunswickers who live in areas served by Horizon with a local team of collaborative health care providers by 2029. This best practice approach will provide better access and an improved patient experience by bringing together different health care practitioners with a variety of competencies, skills, and experiences to address the needs of the patients they serve. Family Health Team members will include a range of physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, allied health professionals and medical office assistants.

Currently, 13 Horizon Family Health Teams are in various stages of implementation, including Fredericton North, Tantramar, Carleton North, Nordin (Miramichi), Mapleton (Moncton), St. Stephen, Saint John North End, Fundy Health Centre, Nackawic Health Centre, Saint Andrews Wellness Centre, Perth-Andover, Hampton, and Moncton West. In addition, Horizon’s existing Community Health Centres are undergoing improvements and transformations to increase access and optimize capacity to serve patients within the Family Health Team model.

New Brunswickers who do not have a primary care provider should continue to register with the provincial unattached patient registry (NB Health Link). As new local Family Health Teams are established, New Brunswickers registered on this list will be contacted and matched with a team in their community. Horizon will share regular progress updates at horizonnb.ca/primary-care. 

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