A new mobile health-care co-ordination team is expanding access to care for Fredericton’s homeless. The New Brunswick government says the team will address the complex health-care needs of Fredericton’s vulnerable populations. Horizon Health Network is receiving more than $453,000 from the province’s health department to work in collaboration with the University of New Brunswick (UNB) Community Health Clinic, which operates at the Fredericton Downtown Community Health Centre. The money will pay for the addition of four full-time positions at the clinic: two registered nurses, one social worker and one administrative support worker. The team will provide services ranging from wound care and immunizations to mental health counselling and addiction support, while also helping connect patients with primary care and other community resources. “These teams of clinicians have a tremendous impact on the lives of people experiencing homelessness or housing instability,” said Health Minister John Dornan in a news release from the province. “By providing low-barrier care and meeting folks directly where they are, the team is addressing health challenges with empathy and expertise. They are breaking down barriers, building trust and ensuring that everyone – no matter their circumstances – has access to the care they deserve.” The province says the expansion builds on a pilot outreach program that handled more than 470 patient visits in six months, connected 141 people with care and made more than 150 referrals to health-care services. “Analysis showed that 10 per cent of the patients accounted for between 49 and 61 per cent of emergency department visits. It was also determined that 25 to 34 per cent of those visits could have been managed with primary care instead,” reads the release. “We know the concept works and we know that it needs to be taken into the community at different locations around Fredericton,” said Ali McGill, an associate professor in UNB’s faculty of nursing. New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt says the province is focused on making sure every New Brunswicker can access the care they need, when they need it. “This investment is about meeting people where they are at and making sure some of Fredericton’s most vulnerable residents can access low-barrier care, mental health and addictions support without barriers,” she said in the release. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
