New after-hours psychiatry clinic making significant impact in connecting clients to mental health services

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) – A new initiative is dramatically enhancing access to psychiatry services for clients in the Moncton area, with dozens of patients – children/youth and adults – being removed from the waitlist and connected to the care they need in the right place, at the right time.

Horizon psychiatrists Dr. Rozario Anthony and Dr. Syed Sadiq recently opened the doors to their clinic at 234 Reade St., located steps away from Horizon’s The Moncton Hospital.

The clinic provides clients with far greater flexibility to attend appointments outside of traditional daytime hours of operation and will help further reduce the waitlist for mental health services in the Moncton area.

This appointment-only clinic operates Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6 to 9 p.m., as well as every second Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The clinic provides psychiatry services to approximately 30 clients per month.

In its first few weeks of service, 92 patients have been removed from the psychiatry services wait list. Over that span, a total of 21 adults and 30 children/youth have had a treatment plan developed and follow-up services provided.

In order to access this clinic, patients must be referred through their family physician or primary care provider.

Overall, the presence of this clinic has utilized existing resources to create an additional 18 hours of psychiatry access every two weeks.

“Horizon is committed to doing everything we can to ensure mental health clients of all ages can be connected to the services they need as quickly and efficiently as possible. This initiative has the full support of our interim CEO, Margaret Melanson, who recognizes the added value of improved access to care and a better patient experience,” said Dr. Nachiketa Sinha, a psychiatrist and Horizon’s Regional Chief of Staff. 

“The addition of this after-hours psychiatry clinic to the suite of mental health services available in the Moncton area will ensure more people are getting the right care at the right time.  I’d like to commend Dr. Anthony and Dr. Sadiq for leading this important initiative and for their commitment to providing timely, accessible care to mental health clients.”

Patients referred to the clinic receive comprehensive psychiatric assessments, diagnoses, treatment plans, medication management and more. 

By offering appointments outside of traditional business hours, it will be easier for clients to attend their appointments without impacting their work or school commitments, in addition to other obligations they may have during the daytime.

For more information on adult and youth mental health resources available in your community, please visit the Addiction and Mental Health services section of our website or visit the Bridge the Gapp New Brunswick website.

Horizon has a plan to improve health care in New Brunswick. Our plan is focused on retention and recruitment efforts, in addition to 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.

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