N.B. news: Health authorities plan ahead for holiday season [Video]

Holiday and sick season are both here, but this year, New Brunswick’s Horizon Health Network insists it’s ready to take on the anticipated busy period ahead.

“This is often a very difficult time of year for our health-care providers and I want to make it clear that we have taken steps to ensure that we can effectively respond to these challenges by having the appropriate resources in place to meet the health care needs of New Brunswickers over these next few weeks,” said acting president Margaret Melanson.

The health authority is taking a number of steps to prepare for the demand, including:

• opening an additional 80 acute care beds in Saint John, Fredericton and Miramichi
• repurposing space at Fredericton’s Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital to add more space for stable admitted patients
• working with health care, treatment and service centres to give people more options

“Within the Fredericton area, we now have the …