Horizon oped | Telegraph-Journal

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Horizon Health Network’s newly released 2025-2030 Strategic Plan, Transforming Health Care Through Innovation, is a clear commitment to reshaping health care and ensuring the people of New Brunswick are at the heart of everything we do.

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This plan will define our priorities, reinforce our commitment to excellent care, and set the course for a sustainable, high-performing and transformational health care system. Building upon our previous work, it will outline how we will achieve our vision of providing exceptional care, every day.

The plan was developed by Horizon’s board of directors and senior leadership team and reflects input from the people who know our health care system best: our patients and clients, our frontline health care teams of staff and physicians, our community, health and government partners, and New Brunswickers. This feedback shaped the priorities and actions reflected in our strategic plan, and we are grateful to everyone who took the time to participate.

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The health care system we rely on today faces many challenges. An aging population, rising demand for services, staffing pressures and new technologies are reshaping what care looks like — and how it’s delivered. In response, we know we must evolve, too.

Our strategic plan is built around four pillars that define our future direction:

1. Transformative community care: We are committed to partnering with communities to build healthier populations. By 2030, our goal is for all New Brunswickers in the communities Horizon serves to be connected to a Family Health Team — a collaborative network of multidisciplinary health professionals who can meet patient needs in a coordinated, timely and equitable way.

2. Excellence in hospital care: We will transform the delivery of clinical care to meet evolving health care needs. Horizon is committed to ensuring every patient has timely access to hospital care that meets the highest standards. Our goal is to deliver strong health outcomes, meet provincial and national benchmarks, and reduce wait times for services like surgery, medical imaging and emergency care.

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3. Our people at their best: We will create a healthy, safe and inclusive environment that allows our team to excel and grow. We are committed to fostering a work environment that is supportive and empowering for every team member. By creating the conditions for high-performing teams to thrive, we can ensure our staff are equipped to provide the best possible care.

4. Trusted partner in research and innovation:  We will be recognized as a trusted partner in research and innovation by enabling scalable, leading-edge approaches that allow us to deliver advanced patient care.

These goals are ambitious, but they reflect the future New Brunswickers deserve — and the future we believe is possible when we work together. With the continued support of our provincial government partners, we are confident we can make this vision a reality.

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As we move forward, we are committed to continuing an open dialogue with our patients, communities and health care system partners. These insights and lived experiences will be essential in shaping the future of health care in New Brunswick. We will also continue to create opportunities for our stakeholders to share their ideas and feedback along the way.

On behalf of Horizon’s board of directors and leadership team, we want to thank our staff and physicians for the compassion, innovation and dedication they bring to their work every single day. Their commitment makes a difference in the lives of New Brunswickers and will be key to building the health care system our province needs for tomorrow.

The future of health care in New Brunswick will be shaped by further collaboration and innovation. We look forward to working with the New Brunswickers we serve on this important journey.

Recognizing the importance of transparency and accountability to our patients, clients and the public, Horizon will share regular progress updates about the strategic plan at horizonnb.ca/strategicplan.

Margaret Melanson is president and CEO of Horizon Health Network and Susan Harley is the board chair of Horizon Health Network

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