Premier, Health Minister announce province’s 22nd collaborative care clinic
Residents in the Woodstock area without a family doctor have new hope of eventually getting off the primary care wait list.
On Friday, Oct. 16, New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt, Health Minister Dr. John Dornan, Mayor Jeff Wright, and Margaret Melanson, president and CEO of Horizon Health Network, announced a $1.2 million investment in a new collaborative care clinic at Woodstock Family Medicine on Jones Street.
“Our focus is on delivering the care New Brunswickers need, when they need it, close to home,” said Premier Holt. “This investment will help keep patients in Woodstock connected to care, close to home, support the health-care professionals who care for them, and create opportunities for more residents to access primary care. That’s the difference collaborative care can make.”
Holt said the announcement was part of a “transformation” her government is undertaking to shift primary care delivery to a team-based model. She noted that the province has announced 22 collaborative clinics to date and recruited 67 new doctors in 2025. She said she expects to set a record for physician recruitment this year.
The government has committed to establishing and supporting at least 30 local collaborative care teams across the province by 2028 and has invested $30 million to expand the model in the 2026-27 budget.
“It’s our number one priority,” Premier Holt said. “We are moving full steam ahead in putting our money where our mouth is to get people care and our physicians supported. This one in Woodstock feels special because we’ve watched the community come together to make it happen.”
The Woodstock collaborative care clinic will provide access to primary care while building the team needed to connect all patients on the local wait list with a primary care provider within three years.
Seven physicians have come together to form the team, which currently serves about 5,825 patients. Two of the seven are on leave; however, the clinic added a new physician to stabilize services during their absence. In addition to caring for current patients, the newly added physician will connect about 980 more people to primary care over the next two years.
Once the clinic reaches its full complement of providers, it will connect all 2,636 patients currently on the local wait-list for a primary care provider within three years.
The $1.2 million investment will support the team through new staff positions, the lease of additional clinic space, staff salaries, and equipment. Community leaders are also working to construct another building at the same location on Jones Street to provide additional space.
In addition to the new physician, the team has already added a social worker and a medical office assistant. The team plans to expand further; it is recruiting three nurse practitioners, a dietitian, a respiratory therapist, a phlebotomist, a licensed practical nurse, and a registered nurse.
“Patients are already benefiting from this team-based approach to care in Woodstock,” said Health Minister John Dornan. “By bringing together a range of health-care professionals, the team is helping maintain care for current patients while creating opportunities in the future to continue connecting more residents with primary care and a broader range of health services.”
Dornan credited Drs. Bill and Rose Anne Goodine for their leadership and commitment to health care in their community, noting they also have two daughters, Katie and Natalie, who are family doctors on the Woodstock team.
“Woodstock is one of the strongest in terms of community support,” Dornan said. “It has served as a teaching centre for obstetrics, and two surgeons have joined the labour and delivery unit at the Upper River Valley Hospital.”
Horizon Health’s president and CEO echoed the importance of partnership.
“Meaningful health care isn’t accomplished by any one single organization,” said Margaret Melanson. “It really happens when people come together around this shared purpose and they continue to move forward together, one step at a time. That’s what all the of the people in this community have done. They have worked for more stable, quality care. For Horizon, it’s certainly been a privilege to be part of the journey.”
Melanson noted the investment is already making a difference for patients in Woodstock, with the family health team helping to stabilize existing patient rosters, maintain continuity of care during provider transitions, and create capacity to connect more people with primary care in the years ahead.
Dr. Sarah Purcell, the team’s newest family doctor, said the community welcomed her with open arms, and it felt like a homecoming. She spent time in Woodstock during her medical training.
“We are all committed to patient care access,” Dr. Purcell said. “Every physician on the team came into family medicine for the same reason. We care about people. We are focused on what comes next and we share a dream to continue working together toward our goals.”
Woodstock Mayor Jeff Wright said he was thankful to have a doctor, starting with Dr. Fred Goodine, who delivered him at birth, and then Drs. Rose Anne and Natalie Goodine, as his family doctor.
“Not everybody is that lucky,” said Wright. “We hope this announcement is just the first step. We are expecting more investment next year to make it even better.”
