NB invests $3.6 million in supportive-care clinic expansion in St. Stephen

As a practicing physician, John Dornan used to drive from St. John’s to St. Stephen’s Charlotte Country Hospital for endocrinology clinics, and through those trips he witnessed the growth of the collaborative care team he was putting together.

As Health Minister, Dornan was back at St. Stephen’s Hospital on Tuesday with Premier Susan Holt and announced the province will spend $3.6 million to expand allied health services at St. Stephen’s and establish a standalone clinic in the community. The goal is to provide primary care services to more people.

“This means more people at St. Stephen will be able to get the care they need, in the right place, at the right time, in their community,” Dornan said.

“I know this team is already working hard, growing their staff, connecting more people to primary care. They have increased clinic capacity at this hospital.”

Since February, the clinic has added seven health care professionals to its services and taken in 310 patients who did not have a doctor, she said.

The province said it will establish and support at least 10 collaborative care teams in New Brunswick this year. St. Stephen’s is the ninth announced so far.

There is an existing clinic on the third floor of the hospital, the Charlotte County Collaborative Wellness Center, and Holt said the goal is to develop and build a standalone clinic.

“They brought people and leadership together to create a collaborative care team and used the space they had to begin serving patients and getting patients off the waiting list,” Holt said.

“But we want to move forward and we want to make sure this community has that dedicated space.”

Various players, including the clinic and Horizon Health, were not ready to announce the location for the new clinic as they were still finalizing the lease.

The current team consists of one physician, three nurse practitioners, two registered nurses, two licensed practical nurses, one respiratory therapist and one social worker.

The center also has an access clinic in collaboration with local physicians to serve patients with non-urgent medical needs, which has provided assistance to over 2,000 people since its launch.

Dornan acknowledged that the government is not pushing this form of care, saying it is good for patients and health care providers. The province wants to create new teams where they do not exist and strengthen those that already exist.

“Collaborative care provides stronger health care for patients and better support for providers,” Dornan said. “This expanded team of primary care and allied health professionals at St. Stephen’s is a clear example of how we are strengthening our health system with team-based care.”

Primary care is one of six priority areas outlined in the province. five year health plan Released last month.

The government has committed to establishing and supporting at least 30 local collaborative care teams across the province over four years.

“I keep a list of people from all groups that are considering creating collaborative care teams and everyone is at different stages of development, like it is here,” Dornan said.

He said further developing this model is great for recruiting and retaining health care workers.

“Nobody likes to (work) in a solo practice… if you can knock on the next door and talk to a nurse practitioner or a physician or a pharmacist or a social worker, it’s a very pleasant place to come to every day,” she said.

The area’s Progressive Conservative MLA, Cathy Baucus, welcomed the announcement of funding for the new clinic.

A few years ago, Baucus helped set up a local recruitment committee to attract more doctors and they were all looking for opportunities to collaborate with other health care workers. He doesn’t want a solo practice with “3,000 or 4,000 patients,” which also isn’t ideal for patients, he said.

“Doctors today want to work in a collaborative environment,” Bocuse said. “It works better because it doesn’t matter who your doctor is. If you go to that clinic, you’re a member of that clinic. Your charts are there. So you may not see the same doctor, but your information is there.”

So far this year, the province has announced support for collaborative care teams in Campbellton, Moncton, Miramichi, Carlton North, Tantramar, Île-de-Lamacq, Fredericton, Edmundston and St. Stephen, with at least one more team expected by the end of December.