(Saint John) March 11, 2019 - Horizon Health Network's Saint John Regional Hospital will be welcoming delegates from across Canada for a workshop on March 12 and 13. Visitors will have an opportunity to learn about the "Café de Paris" initiative and other training tools developed by Horizon to support its staff in serving patients and families in their language of choice.

"We are pleased to share our knowledge with  representatives from across Canada about our Horizon approach to offering services in both English or French throughout the care experience," said Karen McGrath, President and CEO of Horizon Health Network. "Horizon's commitment to providing quality and timely services in both official languages is an essential part of patient and family centred care as well as patient safety."

Approximately 13 delegates from eight provinces and territories will be attending the workshop offered by Société Santé et Mieux-être en français du Nouveau-Brunswick, in partnership with Horizon Health Network and the Association Régionale de la Communauté francophone de Saint-Jean.

Michel Côté, president of the Société Santé et Mieux-être en français du Nouveau-Brunswick (SSMEFNB), said that the organization is proud to partner with Horizon Health Network to implement initiatives aimed at increasing the availability of French-language health services, particularly in regards to the development and delivery of the Café de Paris.  "The Café de Paris has been very successful in New Brunswick as an initiative to strengthen staff's French-language skills and increase the active offer.  The Réseau-action des services (RAOS) of the SSMEFNB is pleased to act as a resource network for other provinces and territories interested in adapting and implementing the model in their communities, through the financial support of Health Canada via the Société Santé en français.

Along with other training programs available to staff, the Café de Paris is a meeting space within a facility where staff can meet with tutors who provide assistance in their learning journey. The first site was launched as a pilot project at Horizon's Saint John Regional Hospital. A partnership with SSMEFNB, as well as funding from the Department of Health, helped create similar meeting spaces in Horizon's regional hospitals located in Fredericton, Miramichi and Moncton. Additional information can be found online by viewing the Café de Paris guide ( direct link).

With a collaborative, team approach to offering services in English and French, Horizon delivers sustainable, safe and quality health care services to residents of New Brunswick, as well as northern Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Horizon has an annual budget of approximately $1.1 billion and has more than 12,600 employees, 1,100 physicians and 4,400 volunteers.

The Société Santé et Mieux-être en français du Nouveau-Brunswick (SSMEFNB) is a collaborative and supportive organization dedicated to improving the accessibility, continuity and quality of health care and wellness services and programs in New Brunswick's Acadian and Francophone communities.

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For more information contact:

Emely Poitras
Media Relations
1-877-499-1899
Media@HorizonNB.ca
www.HorizonNB.ca