Health minister says New Brunswick's patient wait-list to be eliminated by year’s end
After being on the hunt for a new tenant for quite some time, a community pharmacy in Keswick, N.B., is now renting out space in its health clinic to a nurse practitioner.
It's a welcome addition after the clinic’s original physician left for another province.
It’s a step forward for a community that has about 700 so-called orphan patients – people without a primary care provider.
“It’s a big gap,” said Shelonie Cooley, the pharmacist and co-owner of the clinic. “I mean, as a community pharmacist working in there every day, I see the patients coming in who don't have family physicians and they are thrilled to know that we have Leah here now.”
The nurse practitioner will fill part of the space, but they’re still hoping to recruit a family physician to complete the clinic.
It is a relief to the patient wait list-that, in recent months, has grown to over 50,000 people.
“That's why we're in such a need to make sure we get this system up and running,” said New Brunswick Health Minister Dorothy Shephard.
The system she is referring to is the Primary Care Network -- a provincial program that will match orphan patients to a timely appointment with a physician or nurse practitioner while they wait for a longer-term placement.
The aim is to eliminate the need for the current wait-list system.
The target was for it to be in place by the end of quarter two – or September -- but Shephard says it’s now looking like the end of the year.
“I know that it's taken a little bit longer but we know that our COVID reality has certainly given staff challenges and they've had to prioritize their targets in the moment,” she said.
But they are making improvements. With the addition of the Keswick nurse practitioner clinic, almost 30 nurse practitioners have been now hired in zone three alone, which includes the Fredericton and Upper River Valley area.
Those providers are filling gaps in an area that has lost some family doctors in recent months.
“We have some work to do on family practice physician recruitment, there’s no question,” said David Arbeau, a primary care director for Horizon Health Network. “But there's lots of work happening and collaboration with municipalities and lots of conversations happening around how do we work together on that.”
Shephard says they are aiming to open more clinics, including in rural areas where some are not accessing primary care in a timely way.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.