UNB research finds repurposing small hospitals didn’t bring substantial change to regional patterns, rates of service use

In 2000, N.B. closed some rural hospitals and as part of the restructuring, 10 new community health centres were opened, often in the old hospitals themselves where extramural care was offered. UNB researchers examined whether changes in geographic access to hospitals and primary care were associated with changes in patterns of hospital use. Overall, they found rates and incidence of hospitalizations for ACSCs declined while admissions via ambulance remained unchanged. Considerable regional variation was observed in rates between communities in 2004, which decreased over time, with rural areas demonstrating the sharpest declines. The results suggest the restructuring and hospital closures didn’t result in substantial changes to regional patterns or rates of service use. The researchers conclude that placing more primary care providers and resources into the community gives patients with preventable diseases support in managing their health conditions.