Horizon tells patients with non-urgent illnesses to stay away from ERs during the holidays

Horizon Health says it has a comprehensive surge plan for the holiday season, but is asking people to consider other options to avoid crowding in emergency rooms.

“We have plans, and our teams are ready to serve New Brunswick throughout the holiday season,” said Margaret Melanson, Horizon CEO.

“But we need the public to help us by choosing the right care options for their needs and treating our health care workers with the respect and kindness they deserve.”

Melanson said the holidays can bring an influx of visitors to emergency rooms as primary health care providers work fewer hours and respiratory illnesses spread in the community.

She is asking people with minor or non-urgent illnesses to consider using eVisitNB or the walk-in clinic or going to a pharmacy. Melanson also advised people to consider refilling prescriptions before the holiday shortage.

The health authority has already activated its surge plan, which includes augmented staffing, and plans to move patients through the hospital system.

Taking lessons from planning and implementation in previous years, Melanson is “as confident as possible” about the next few weeks.

“I would say we’re as prepared as we can be,” she said.

“We’ve always been aware that unexpected circumstances can occur. But I will say that the communication and engagement has been very, very good and everyone has really been on board because we’re fully aware that we want to serve the public very, very well.”

Look ‘We are as prepared as we can be,’ says Horizon:

Horizon is preparing for holiday resource shortages

CEO Margaret Melanson is encouraging people seeking care for minor illnesses to avoid the emergency room.

A recent report by Auditor General Paul Martin found that two-thirds of visitors to emergency rooms in the province were not seen in a timely manner and the health department had no dedicated plan to deal with long wait times.

Melanson said efforts to improve access to primary care, such as the 11 government-supported collaborative care clinics announced, are starting to move the needle a bit. Medically discharged patients waiting for space in nursing homes and other care centers remain the biggest challenge facing hospitals.

According to Melanson, patients in alternative levels of care are occupying 40 percent of acute care beds, bringing all area hospitals to more than 100 percent capacity.

Typically, the health authority has about 160 “funded beds”. These are beds that are being used for patients being treated in hallways or cells as hospitals struggle for capacity.

“This impacts patient flow throughout our system and contributes to longer wait times in our emergency departments,” he said.

“We are continuing to work closely with our partners to address these systemic challenges, but they require collaborative, system-wide solutions that go beyond what Horizon can directly control.”

Melanson said Horizon will open a new urgent care center in Moncton next year, as will the one north of Fredericton, and hopes it will divert some people with more minor needs from the ER.