Nearly 2,000 health care professionals join Horizon so far this fiscal year

(HORIZON) – Horizon is continuing to make significant progress with the recruitment and retention of health care workers in New Brunswick, with 1,928 physicians, nursing staff and other health care professionals joining our organization so far this fiscal year.

“Our success in recruitment can largely be attributed to innovative and aggressive efforts by our Talent Acquisition team,” said Gail Lebel, Horizon’s Vice-President and Chief Human Resource Officer. “They are actively taking part in strategic hiring – both within New Brunswick, nationally and internationally – for physicians, nursing staff and allied health care talent.”

These efforts have included recent missions to the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, with Horizon personnel also attending job fairs and social events for medical residents and medical students alongside our partners at Vitalité and the Government of New Brunswick over the last several months.

In September, Horizon launched its Our Promise campaign, an organizational pledge to prioritize the retention of physicians and staff through meaningful engagement and recognition, focusing on a healthy, safe and inclusive workplace culture, while empowering our workforce to untap their full potential as health care professionals.

The framework for the Our Promise program was developed with direct input from physicians and staff through various engagement efforts –  these efforts resulted in valuable feedback on strategic measures Horizon can take to improve the workplace experience.

“Horizon’s commitment to the recruitment and retention of health care professionals in New Brunswick is yielding positive results, and the results we’ve seen this fiscal year speaks volumes about the dedication and tireless efforts of our team,” said Margaret Melanson, Horizon’s interim President and CEO. “We also highly value the input of our physicians and staff, and their feedback has been pivotal in shaping the strategic measures we are taking to enhance the overall workplace experience at Horizon as we work to retain our health care workers for the long-term.”

QUICK FACTS – RECRUITMENT

Nurse Hiring

• As of Monday, Nov. 27, Horizon has successfully hired and onboarded 494 Registered Nurses (RNs), 202 Licenced Practical Nurses (LPNs) and 505 Personal Care Attendants (PCAs) since April 1, 2023.
• For RNs, this represents a net gain of 207, with LPNs and PCAs seeing net gains of 97 and 426, respectively.
• Horizon has hired 103 Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) so far this fiscal year, which is 10 more IENs than what were recruited for all of the previous fiscal year.
• The organization has set a target of hiring 708 RNs in fiscal 2023-24 and has achieved 70 per cent of that objective as of today.

Physician Hiring

• Horizon has hired 145 physicians so far in fiscal 2023-24, which is a net gain of 119.

Allied Health Hiring

• Many allied health professionals and support service workers have also joined Horizon since the beginning of fiscal 2023-24 across several fields of expertise.

Best Practices

• Horizon’s Human Resources team was recognized by Accreditation Canada for five leading practices in health care over the past year, including:
  • Implementation of two real time dashboards – including one for nursing recruitment
  • Launch of innovative Horizon Referral Rewards program that includes all New Brunswickers,
  • Established Promote 150 education program, which targets school age children for future careers at Horizon
  • Rollout of new SNAP program, which guarantees employment for all student nurses who are looking for work in New Brunswick.
• Horizon is proud to share these successful initiatives with other health care organizations across the country.

QUICK FACTS – RETENTION

Horizon has recently initiated several retention programs, including:

• Self-Scheduling options are now available to all Horizon RNs and LPNs, regardless of facility or unit. Self-scheduling involves a unit of employees working collaboratively to develop a short-​​term schedule to improve flexibility for commitments such as childcare, family events, ​​coursework, and ongoing education, and more to improve work-life balance and their overall employment experience.
• Flexible Work Arrangements established for permanent non-bargaining employees. 
• Respectful Workplace Policy to improve the working environment for all physicians and staff.
• Wellness Hubs, connecting employees and physicians to mental health and well-being supports has been established.
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Framework including:
  • A voluntary preferred pronoun initiative has been initiated to foster inclusion and respect.
  • A new Buddy System framework pilot to accelerate integration of international hires and minority groups, building relationships quickly.
  • Mandatory DEI training for all managers
  • Launch of huddle-based DEI learning for all health care workers
• Listening Strategy to hear and act upon feedback from candidates, new hires and those leaving the organization. 
• Performance Development Process focused on position competencies, performance conversations, and personal and professional development.
• Online Onboarding to support a positive candidate experience.

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.

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