Province invests $2.1 million to expand clinic services, meet primary care needs in region
Carleton North Medical Clinic is getting a family health team.
On Friday, May 16, New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt and Health Minister Dr. John Dornan joined Dr. Stuart Lockhart and Vice President Community for Horizon Health Network, Natasha Lemieux, at the Carleton North Medical Clinic to announce the new family health team in Carleton North.
The clinic has partnered with Horizon Health Network to bring in more staff, such as administrative support, allied health professionals, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, and licensed practical nurses. The new healthcare staff will help two full-time and three part-time doctors at the clinic. The expansion will allow them to serve 800 more patients by the end of 2026, making a serious dent in the doctor waitlist.
“Today means progress in our goal to help New Brunswickers access primary care. Too many of them, including in this community, don’t have access to a nurse practitioner, a family doctor, or a home for their health care,” said Premier Holt, who campaigned on the promise of creating collaborative health clinics across the province.
Since the clinic’s opening in 2023, they have connected 1,360 patients with a family physician, and an additional 925 individuals have accessed primary care services through a community clinic, staffed by three part-time physicians.
“This will have a positive impact on the services we provide to our current patients while also enabling us to add more patients who currently do not have a primary provider,” said Dr. Lockhart.
By 2029, the government wants 30 collaborative family health teams across the province, beginning with 10 in 2025. In the same timeframe, Horizon Health Network plans to have all 10,000 patients in the area currently without a doctor enrolled with the clinic’s care team.
Premier Holt believes this promise is easy to keep because the communities and healthcare professionals are eager to have a team-based care system.
“With a willing government and a willing health authority and health care professionals that want to practice in this model, we put the pieces together, we put the investment in place, and now we’re seeing the interest really just pick up momentum,” said Premier Holt.
Carleton North Mayor, Andrew Harvey, is excited for his community to receive sharpened health care, and says he is pleased with the government’s involvement with this action.
“This is a big day for this area, and with Dr. Stewart Lockart and his team, it’s a vision coming true, so to speak, and we’re really happy. It took a lot of people behind this to make it happen, and we’re really pleased with the provincial government to come forward with the resources to help Dr. Stewart and his team here,” said Harvey.
The Carleton North Medical Clinic opened in February 2023, with support from community members, the McCain Foundation, the Florenceville Rotary Club, and the Carleton North Foundation.
