The New Brunswick Extra-Mural Program

The New Brunswick Extra-Mural Program (EMP) is a provincial health care program that provides a full range of services to individuals of all ages in private homes, nursing homes, special care homes, and schools.

The purpose of the EMP is to promote, maintain, and/or restore the health of clients in the context of their day-to-day life and to provide services that will ensure quality end-of-life care, when needed.

Health care services are provided by an interdisciplinary team made up of:

clinical nutritionists;
nurses;
occupational therapists;
physiotherapists;
respiratory therapists;
social workers;
speech-language pathologists;
licensed practical nurses (LPN);
rehabilitation assistants.

The EMP’s mandate is to provide acute care, palliative care, long-term care, long-term oxygen services, and rehabilitation services.

Direct home care services are provided day and night to EMP clients through nursing visits or, at a minimum, on-call nursing services.

The Extra-Mural Program is an integral part of the health care system. Indeed, the EMP is involved in various partnerships with other government departments and divisions, as well as health care facilities and agencies in order to provide clients with a full range of health care services.

All New Brunswick residents have access to the Extra-Mural Program’s core services as an insured benefit. These services include:

assessment;
intervention (treatment, education, consultation);
service planning and coordination;
long-term care and long-term oxygen assessment.

Clients can be referred to the EMP.

To refer clients to the EMP, physicians must have admitting privileges within the Health Authority. They must provide, verbally or in writing, all necessary information indicated on the EMP referral form. Upon accepting an individual as a client, the physician then signs all verbal orders.

When an EMP professional deems it necessary, from a professional point of view, to obtain a clinical assessment, he can refer a client directly to colleagues in other disciplines. However, following an assessment, any intervention requiring a doctor’s referral or order can only be carried out once the medical order has been received.

Every client/family can have direct access to rehabilitation services provided by the EMP. Request for services can also be made by physicians, school officials, nursing home personnel, hospital staff members, tertiary health care service providers, as well as employees from the Department of Veterans Affairs, of Public Health and of Family and Community Services.

When a client is receiving rehabilitation services that have not been prescribed by the physician, the client’s family physician will be notified, if deemed necessary.

For more information regarding the Extra-Mural Program, please dial one of the following numbers:

Bathurst		(506) 544-3030
Caraquet		(506) 726-2800
Lamèque		(506) 344-3000
Tracadie-Sheila		(506) 394-4100

In order to achieve and maintain an optimal level of health, all New Brunswickers are eligible to receive home or community health care services, as needed.

Home health care services are holistic in nature; they are provided through the delivery of combined services. In order to meet a client’s identified needs, service providers must recognize the contribution of other providers, establish effective communication, and work in partnership.

Home health care services are provided by an interdisciplinary team in an environment that is safe for both the client and the EMP service provider.

The client’s culture, experiences, knowledge, and rights are central to, and carry authority within, the client/service provider relationship. Services provided are responsive to the needs of clients.

Home health care services are best provided through an interdisciplinary team, with case coordination for each client/family.

A continuous quality improvement approach is essential to ensure that home health care services are responsive to the changing needs of clients and the community.

With respect to health care services provided, both the client and the health care provider must play an active role in the care and support provided.

In order to provide quality health care services, relevant training and education that focus on the client’s needs must be offered to health care service providers.

Development/maintenance of an ongoing learning environment is essential to recruit and maintain competent, innovative, effective, and efficient health care service providers.