Based on the Patient Medical Home model outlined in Dr. Jane Philpott’s book Health for All: A Doctor’s Prescription for a Healthier Canada (2024), Family Health Teams will lead to a more sustainable primary care approach and improved care team well-being. This model will reduce the administrative burden for providers, enable greater collaboration, improve work-life balance for staff and physicians and strengthen the patient experience for the New Brunswickers we serve.

Horizon recently consulted with 370 primary care providers – nearly 90% of our providers – to better understand their challenges and opportunities. We know primary care providers are seeking ways to relieve their administrative burden and work collaboratively while providing better care and access to their patients. Through this transformation, we will work together to address some of the health care system’s greatest systemic challenges and improve primary care access and patient outcomes.

We are currently in the process of co-creating nine Family Health Teams. Over the coming months, the Horizon team will continue to work closely with primary care providers, allied health professionals and support staff to explore additional opportunities to begin forming teams. We are scheduling consultation sessions and providing additional details as they become available to keep providers informed and engaged.