Horizon puts $6.4M into strengthening surgical services at 5 community hospitals

Horizon Health Network says it will spend $6.4 million to expand surgical services at community hospitals across New Brunswick. 

The Upper River Valley Hospital in Waterville, Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital in Fredericton, Oromocto Public Hospital,  Sackville Memorial Hospital and Sussex Health Centre will all receive funding to carry out improvements in their services.

Amy McCavour, the executive regional director of surgical services for Horizon Health, said it is important Horizon continue to build relationships with community partners and put money into helping community hospitals do more.

"The nice thing about some of our rural centres is that the staffing is in place there," McCavour said in an interview "And, you know, we want to be able to utilize those resources to their full capacity."

She said putting money into smaller centres such as Sackville and Oromocto is a win-win for their communities and for larger centres. It helps community residents while also taking pressure off larger surgical operations. 

Each hospital that this expanded access will serve will receive a different amount of funding for a particular "need."

Upper River Valley's new joint arthroplasty project will result in more knee replacement surgeries. The launch for this project is expected in November or December.

More hip, knee replacements

A Horizon news release said the expanded program at Upper River Valley will serve about 360 additional knee-replacement patients in one year. Horizon is spending $350,000 on equipment for this project, and $1.5 million for additional human resources. 

Work at the Fredericton and Oromocto hospitals will result in an estimated increase of 730 hip replacement patients in one year. Horizon is spending $550,000 into this project and the launch is predicted for late spring or early summer of 2023. 

Sackville and Sussex centres will undergo renovations as part of their surgical expansions. They will each get $2 million for the projects.

Sackville will have renovations on its existing operating room as well as the addition of a new surgical suite, with renovations beginning in late spring 2023. Sussex will expand operating room and clinic access through its renovations with options for cataract surgeries and endoscopies being explored. 

McCavour said procedures haven't been decided yet for Sussex's expanded services, but she's hoping to increase capacity for cardiac surgeries. 

She said these expansions are not just about surgical capacity, but also bed use. 

"Even if we can get some of these cases that just require like a one night stay, like hips and knees, to these smaller centres, then that means less chances of surgeries getting cancelled at the bigger centres due to lack of beds," said McCavour. 

Hospitals had to suspend services

Sackville Mayor Shawn Mesheau said the Sackville community has been working hard with Horizon and with the Rural Health Action Group to find opportunities that would keep the local hospital functioning and operating. 

"This is something that has been raised in the past, 'How can we extend the services and expand on the services that might help actually eliminate some of the backlog elsewhere in the province?'" said Mesheau. 

Sackville and Sussex centres both faced closures and suspensions of services because of staffing shortages in the last year.

Mesheau said this service expansion tells him that they're on the right path. He said the community will continue to look outside the box at different ways of approaching health care in rural New Brunswick.

Sussex Mayor Marc Thorne said he's happy for the Sussex community because people needed reassurance that Horizon was sincere in its efforts to keep the Sussex Health Centre. 

He said Horizon has also provided him with a year's timeline to get the emergency department up and running again for 24/7 service. 

"To hear that Horizon is willing to bring in another $2 million in investment to actually have [the centre] specialize in particular surgeries should give everyone comfort that Horizon was very serious when they said that they want our hospital to be vibrant," said Thorne. 

"People should take a lot of comfort … in the fact that they're making a significant investment in our hospital. and that should really send the message that our hospital won't be closing."