FAQ

NB Health Link is a new program aimed at providing access to care for New Brunswickers who don’t have a family doctor or nurse practitioner. The program provides patients with access to a network of family doctors and nurse practitioners throughout the province – offering in-person, telephone and online appointments in both official languages.

When patients contact NB Health Link, they will be triaged to determine if they require an in-person, or virtual appointment – ensuring they get the health care they need, when and where they need it.

The network also provides patients with a centralized health record that follows them with each of their appointments, allowing for any follow-up that is needed and providing a true ongoing health care experience.

Patients who are registered with NB Health Link can make an appointment by calling 1-833-354-2300 from Monday to Friday, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., or by visiting www.nbhealthlink.ca any time.

NB Health Link has been developed to eventually replace Patient Connect NB as the provincially-managed, bilingual patient registry for New Brunswickers without access to a family doctor or nurse practitioner. Patient Connect NB has focused on assigning people to a doctor or nurse practitioner on a first-come, first-serve basis. Although NB Health Link also helps to connect patients with a family doctor or nurse practitioner – while patients wait for longer-term placements with a family doctor or nurse practitioner, they are able to book an appointment in either official language with one of the network’s doctors or nurse practitioners. The NB Health Link network is also supported by a centralized health record that follows patients from one appointment to another.

The initial implementation phase of NB Health Link began on Monday, July 11, 2022, with a focus in Health Zone 1: Moncton/South-East Area.

Learnings from the initial implementation phase will be used to refine, adapt and scale NB Health Link as the program expands across the province moving forward.

Many patients across New Brunswick are currently waiting for access to a family doctor or nurse practitioner, which is causing strain on emergency departments and walk-in clinics while negatively impacting people’s wellbeing.

As part of the new Provincial Health Plan, NB Health Link will focus on providing a patient-centred, ongoing health care experience for New Brunswickers without a family doctor or nurse practitioner. The NB Health Link network of doctors and nurse practitioners will be able to treat many common medical conditions in both official languages, in person, by phone or online. They will also be able to prescribe medications, order tests, and make referrals for specialized care.

NB Health Link has been developed for New Brunswickers who do not have a family doctor or nurse practitioner. The new program is being developed in stages, with the first implementation phase taking place in Health Zone 1: Moncton/South-East Area this summer. Those who will be participating in this first phase have been (or will be) contacted by Service New Brunswick and invited to register with NB Health Link. This process is based on an ongoing review of the existing Patient Connect NB list, prioritizing those who have been on the list the longest in each respective health zone. As the program continues to grow, the Service New Brunswick will continue to invite others on the existing Patient Connect NB list to register with NB Health Link.

Once registered, you will be able to book appointments with an NB Health Link doctor or nurse practitioner by visiting the program page at www.nbhealthlink.ca or by calling our toll-free number at 1-833-354-2300. Clinic hours will depend on availability, and can be viewed online or by calling the above toll-free number during the program’s regular office hours: Monday to Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Those registered with the program will be able to book an in-person, telephone or online appointment as often as needed, whenever they require support from a family doctor or nurse practitioner for their health care needs. Those registered with the program can contact NB Health Link from Monday to Friday, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. by calling the following toll-free number: 1-833-354-2300. Clinic hours will depend on availability, and can be viewed online by visiting the program website anytime at www.nbhealthlink.ca or by calling the toll-free program number during the office hours listed above.

The program offers a variety of locations for in-person appointments, using available spaces in existing health care facilities such as community health centres and Extra-Mural Program offices. When patients call NB Health Link, they will be triaged to determine if they require an in-person or virtual appointment. If the patient needs an in-person appointment, the triage nurse will direct them to the available appointment location.

This selection process is based on an ongoing review of the existing Patient Connect NB list, prioritizing those who have been on the list the longest within each respective health zone. As the program continues to grow, Service New Brunswick will continue to invite others on the existing Patient Connect NB list to register with NB Health Link.

For those who are registered with NB Health Link, the program will provide you and your immediate family member(s) within the same household online, phone and/or in-person access to care while you wait for a longer-term placement with a family doctor or nurse practitioner.

In collaboration with the Department of Health, and as part of the new Provincial Health Plan, Medavie Health Services New Brunswick (MHSNB) is coordinating and managing NB Health Link. This new program provides access to care in both official languages for New Brunswickers who don’t have a family doctor or nurse practitioner; ensuring they can get the health care they need, when and where they need it.

NB Health Link is a Government of New Brunswick program funded by the provincial government and managed by Medavie Health Services New Brunswick, which also manages Ambulance New Brunswick and the Extra-Mural Program on behalf of the Government of New Brunswick.