Horizon Health Network says a new residency program is helping prepare family doctors to work in both family practice and emergency departments.
The Integrated Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine program, based at Sussex Health Centre, welcomed its second group of medical residents this fall.
The program is a collaboration between Horizon Health Network’s Medical Education and the Department of Family Medicine at Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick.
Residents provide primary care in Sussex while also working shifts in the health centre’s emergency department.
They hold privileges at the Saint John Regional Hospital, but most of their three‑year training takes place in Sussex.
“Family physicians in smaller communities, who often staff emergency rooms, need to be highly trained and able to handle situations that their colleagues in larger centres often don’t encounter,” said Dr. Brian O’Neill, a Sussex‑based family physician and preceptor in the program.
“When finished, the physicians will be well‑positioned to start a family practice of their own.”
Residents also complete rotations in specialties such as general surgery, geriatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, and palliative care.
Horizon said the program is designed to give doctors broad experience while keeping the focus on rural health care needs.
Dr. Ken Gillespie, Horizon’s regional director of medical education, said the program is new in Canada and in high demand.
“The program is tailored to meet the demands of rural hospitals, including the Sussex Health Centre,” he said.
There are currently four residents enrolled, two in their first year and two in their second, with two more expected to join in 2026.
Horizon said feedback has been positive, with participants citing small group sizes, hands‑on training, and the ability to follow patients through different stages of care as key benefits.
Residency positions in the Saint John/Sussex program are highly competitive, with more applicants than available seats.
O’Neill said the hope is that some of the physicians will choose to establish practices in the Sussex area once their training is complete.
