Patients now able to book primary care appointments onlinefor Fredericton clinic

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.

(FREDERICTON) – A new partnership will make it easier for people living in the Fredericton area to book appointments at Horizon’s Fredericton Downtown Community Health Centre for its nurse practitioner same-day self-referral clinic.

Through a project supported by Coordinated Accessible National (CAN) Health Network, Horizon is partnering with Skip the Waiting Room to allow patients to book appointments online, helping create a more convenient and accessible booking process.

The clinic, which is open Monday to Friday, offers appointments with a nurse practitioner for minor illnesses, injuries or other non-urgent health issues for those without a primary care provider. The one-time, or episodic, appointments are similar to those offered at walk-in or after-hours clinics.

Beginning at 7 a.m. each day, patients will be able to book appointments online at nb.skipthewaitingroom.com. Patients can also continue to call 506-452-5689 to book appointments which will begin at 10 a.m.

“This initiative will improve access and convenience for our patients and will enable our staff to spend less time booking appointments by phone and more time delivering patient care,” said Susan Neal, Director of Primary Care for Saint John area and acting Director of Primary Care, Fredericton and Upper River Valley areas. “This project would not be possible without the dedicated efforts of staff and primary care providers at the community health centre. We’re very excited about this partnership and grateful for the support of CAN Health Network.”

Staff will triage appointments booked online and by phone and will be able to repost appointments online as they become available due to cancellations or no-shows. This tool will also help reduce the number of missed appointments. Reducing missed appointments will improve access to services for patients, creating a better patient experience.

“This initiative is one example of Horizon’s commitment to improving patient care through innovative solutions,” said Jennifer Sheils, Vice President Strategy, Transformation and Chief Innovation Officer (CIO). “The Skip the Waiting Room online booking tool will improve operational efficiency while enhancing access to primary care services for patients.” 

“The CAN Health Network is excited to be supporting this project,” said Dr. Dante Morra, Founder and Chair, CAN Health Network. “Skip The Waiting Room is an important service that not only improves the overall experience for patients but also for the health care teams that deliver that care.”

“We appreciate the opportunity to support Horizon in their quest to improve access to health care services for New Brunswickers by enabling digital appointment management,” said Mark Richardson, Skip The Waiting Room CEO. “I’d also like to thank CAN Health Network for their support with this project.”

“The CAN Health Network continues to show that new Canadian health care innovations can be brought to market and produce positive impacts on the health care system. The partnership between Horizon Health Network and Skip the Waiting Room is just the latest example,” said the Honourable Rechie Valdez, Minister of Small Business. “This partnership is going to improve patient experiences while also reducing administrative work for health care workers, enabling them to spend more time caring for patients. Congratulations to both Horizon Health Network and Skip the Waiting Room.”

The pilot is also being rolled out at Horizon’s Saint John Sexual Health Centre. Starting today, patients can book appointments online for a select number of services at this location.

About Horizon Health Network

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.

About CAN Health

The CAN Health Network is a federally funded organization that works with Canadian health care operators (called Edges) to identify their biggest challenges and match them with Canadian-made technology solutions. Through projects like this one launched by Horizon, Canadian companies gain access to real health care environments where they can implement their market-ready solutions, gain valuable feedback from end-users, and scale across the Network and beyond.

About Skip The Waiting Room

Skip The Waiting Room is a Prince Edward Island company that works with walk-in clinic providers to help improve efficiency, data tracking, and reporting, while also helping the public access walk-in clinics easier and more conveniently.

– 30 –