News

Medavie EMS partners with NB Government to Strengthen Primary Health Care

Company - Medavie Health Services

February 01, 2016

Medavie EMS has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the New Brunswick Government to support the transformation of the province’s primary health care system. With a focus on better coordination of existing primary health care resources, Medavie EMS will support the government in its efforts to build a healthier province by providing New Brunswickers with the right care, when and where they need it.

The MOU establishes the framework through which we will explore combining Ambulance New Brunswick; the Extra-Mural Program, who provides home health services; and Tele-Care 811 under a single organization led by Medavie EMS. The key objectives are to optimize coordination to improve the accessibility and delivery of primary health care, and to make the system easier to navigate for patients and their families.

Success will rely on close collaboration among the Province, Medavie EMS, the Regional Health Networks (Horizon and Vitalité), Physicians and other healthcare stakeholders. A process of information exchange and engagement has begun and will continue in the months to come.

“This is an exciting opportunity that will change the front door to primary health care across New Brunswick,” said Erik Sande, President of Medavie EMS. “We’re looking at this from the perspective of a New Brunswicker who needs care and how those services can be organized to deliver the best possible experience and health outcomes. By fully leveraging the talented, dedicated healthcare professionals delivering service today and by coordinating resources better, we’ll also increase capacity and do more in homes and communities to support the health and wellness of New Brunswickers.”

Medavie EMS has demonstrated success in various jurisdictions with organizing health system assets through innovative models of care that help improve both the health of patients and the care systems they navigate. Medavie EMS has managed Ambulance New Brunswick since 2007 and has deep roots in the province.

Over the next six months, Medavie EMS will work with partners and stakeholders to develop a roadmap for the reorganization of Ambulance New Brunswick, the Extra-Mural Program, and Tele-Care 811, to best coordinate and optimize the services.

About Medavie
Medavie is an out-of-hospital health services company. We integrate benefits management, health management and health care delivery through two operating companies, Medavie Blue Cross and Medavie EMS. Together, with our more than 6,000 employees, we are committed to providing innovative solutions that will help build a healthy Canada. And from our perspective, this will require Canadians to think about health care differently.

Medavie EMS is currently contracted to provide EMS services in six Canadian provinces, making it the largest private provider of EMS management services in Canada. Medavie EMS also expanded its scope of services internationally and is today the largest provider of ambulance services in the state of Massachusetts. Medavie EMS has a long history of innovating in the field of Community Paramedicine and delivering Mobile Integrated Health Services. Our operations span ground and air ambulance services, medical communications, clinical training, and community health solutions.

Our commitment to a different kind of health care is further evidenced in the Medavie Health Foundation, where we channel 10 per cent of annual net income to improve the health of Canadians in the areas of child and youth mental health and type 2 diabetes.

Categories - Community Paramedicine, Innovative Models of Care, Corporate Announcement