{"id":438284,"date":"2026-01-28T08:57:21","date_gmt":"2026-01-28T08:57:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/438284\/"},"modified":"2026-01-28T08:57:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T08:57:21","slug":"wanted-more-clinical-space-for-horizon-vitalite","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/438284\/","title":{"rendered":"Wanted: More clinical space for Horizon, Vitalit\u00e9"},"content":{"rendered":"

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New Brunswick<\/a>News<\/a>The Issues<\/a>Health care<\/a><\/p>\n

Regional health authorities search for leasable spaces across N.B.<\/p>\n

Published Jan 25, 2026 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 Last updated 2\u00a0days ago \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 3 minute read<\/p>\n

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\"StethoscopeHorizon and Vitalite health networks issued expressions of interest to gauge the availability of leasable space to house clinical and health service operations in the future across the province. PEXELSArticle content<\/p>\n

New Brunswick\u2019s regional health authorities have cast their nets to see the availability of leasable space across the province to meet their growing needs.<\/p>\n

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Both Horizon and Vitalit\u00e9 health networks have issued their own expressions of interest within the last few weeks, inviting property owners and real estate developers to propose sites that could house clinical and health service operations in the future.<\/p>\n

Vitalit\u00e9 is expecting a need for space in the short term in the areas of Restigouche, Bathurst, Moncton, the Acadian Peninsula and the northwest region, while Horizon is anticipating near-term space needs in north Moncton and north Saint John, according to a pair of press releases.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile some near-term areas have been referenced to illustrate current planning priorities, the EOI is not limited to those locations, and Horizon and Vitalit\u00e9 may consider suitable space opportunities in other communities as needs evolve,\u201d said Blaine Lynch, regional director of facilities, engineering and property management with Horizon, in a statement.<\/p>\n

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Horizon recently announced the relocation<\/a> of some services provided at Fredericton\u2019s Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital to a still-to-be-disclosed community location.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s part of a plan over the next few months to move some services out in the community and to other parts of the congested hospital to improve patient experience.<\/p>\n

Horizon publicly announced the plan following political and public outcry over an open letter<\/a> regarding an 88-year-old patient\u2019s experience in the DECRH\u2019s medical transition unit, which up until this point has been housed in an ambulance bay with no washroom.<\/p>\n

Under Horizon\u2019s plan, the unit will move on to a hospital floor, while the ambulance bay will be renovated to include washrooms and be used as additional clinical care space in the future.<\/p>\n

During a recent Horizon board meeting, Margaret Melanson, CEO and president, said the regional health authority is \u201ccontinuously assessing and identifying services that can be provided in the community to free up space within our hospitals.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cOur vision is to safely move appropriate services, including ambulatory clinics, out of hospitals and into the community,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis will help relieve pressure within our hospitals and free up space for patients and services that must remain on site in our acute care environments.\u201d<\/p>\n

Horizon and Vitalit\u00e9 are also searching for more space as the Holt government continues its push to expand access to collaborative primary care across the province.<\/p>\n

In the span of almost a year, the Liberals have made 11 collaborative care clinic announcements<\/a>. They campaigned on a promise to establish \u201cat least\u201d 30 new collaborative care clinics by 2028, although the majority so far have been expansions.<\/p>\n

Some practices have needed renovations of existing space, while others have needed brand-new space.<\/p>\n

Under the government\u2019s plan, Horizon has announced the expansion of seven family health teams in almost a year\u2019s time.<\/p>\n

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\u201cFamily health teams in Nordin (Miramichi), Mapleton (Moncton), Tantramar and Carleton North are already operating in newly renovated spaces,\u201d Ashley Calvert, interim vice-president of community for Horizon, said in a statement.<\/p>\n

\u201cFredericton North recently moved into their new space. We know that St. Stephen and Saint John North End will require new spaces, and in the case of St. Stephen, we\u2019ve already identified where that will be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Horizon is \u201cwell on our way\u201d to reaching its target of nine family health teams by the end of the 2025-26 fiscal year, according to Calvert.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are currently working on our plan for next fiscal year, and in April, we will announce a new target number of teams for 2026-27.\u201d<\/p>\n

Horizon has also been in the process of transitioning its 46 community health centres to the family health team model.<\/p>\n

Since April 2025, Vitalit\u00e9 has seen four family health team announcements under the government\u2019s plan. Those announcements have been for the communities of Campbellton, Lam\u00e9que, Edmundston and Bathurst.<\/p>\n

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According to its latest quarterly report, Vitalit\u00e9 now has 30 family health teams across its four zones. By the end of 2025, Vitalit\u00e9 reported that 91 per cent of its patients are now connected to a primary care provider.<\/p>\n

Both Horizon and Vitalit\u00e9 have committed to having all their patients attached to a primary care provider by 2029.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of the spaces identified through (the EOI) could be considered to support the activities of our local family health teams, among other health service needs,\u201d deputy Vitalit\u00e9 CEO Patrick Parent said in a statement.<\/p>\n

Deadlines for both expressions of interest have passed, although both health authorities say that while any late submissions may not be considered for immediate opportunities, they will be retained and may be considered for future needs.<\/p>\n

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