Atlantic Canada's Top Employers (2025) - Flipbook - Page 26
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ATLANTIC CANADA’S TOP EMPLOYERS (2025)
Fulfilling a promise: How Horizon puts people first
A
s one of New
Brunswick’s largest
employers and the
second-largest health
authority in Atlantic
Canada, Horizon Health Network
is continuing to demonstrate its
commitment to improving the
experience of its workforce of
more than 14,000.
“Similar to other health authorities, we’re encountering many
challenges that impact our staff
and physicians, including global
competition for talent and our
aging population,” says Gail Lebel,
vice president and chief human
resource officer. “Addressing these
challenges and prioritizing our
workforce’s health and well-being is essential to achieving our
mission of providing exceptional
care to every patient, every day.
Our people are at the core of
everything we do, and we must
take care of those who take care of
New Brunswickers.”
After surveying and hosting
listening sessions with its
workforce, including more than
1,235 physicians in 12 hospitals and
100 medical facilities, clinics and
offices across New Brunswick,
Horizon is continuing to grow its
signature retention and engagement program, Our Promise.
Now in its second year, Our
Promise has introduced more than
30 initiatives within four focus
areas: Listen and Act; Recognize
and Appreciate; Health, Safety
and Belonging; and Learning
and Development. Several new
programs to improve the staff and
physician experience include a
dedicated child-care pilot program
in two urban centres and new settlement support services to help
international employees safely
settle in New Brunswick.
“We are always seeking new
and innovative ways to foster the
health, safety and well-being of
our team,” says Lebel. “It starts
with listening and acting on
feedback and measuring each
project to ensure it’s achieving
the desired results. Whether
introducing child-care services
or supporting 2SLGBTQ+ Pride
events, it’s important that everyone
feels they belong and are valued
at Horizon.”
Emma Vibert, a nurse manager
in geriatric medicine at The
Moncton Hospital, appreciates
Horizon’s focus on continuous
improvement, as well as the opendoor policy of the organization’s
leaders. “When I go to my managers with an idea, they say, ‘Show
me how to do it,’” she says. “And
if you reach out to senior leaders,
they are very willing to listen to
your ideas and feedback.”
Nurses at Horizon Health Network attend an Internationally Educated Nurses event.
Additional examples of innovative initiatives already
making a difference in the
workplace include implementing
patient self-booking of X-rays
and lab services, developing an
education placement platform to
support educational placement
coordination, and introducing
customized diversity, equity and
inclusion education across the
organization.
Our people are the core
of everything we do, and
we must take care of those
who take care of New
Brunswickers.
— Gail Lebel
Vice President and Chief
Human Resource Officer
Horizon also offers smaller but
meaningful gestures that focus on
employee well-being, such as the
Hug in a Box initiative, designed
for those who have experienced
a traumatic event. The boxes
contain healthy snacks, mints,
gum, teas, stickers, notepads and
other items to foster a sense of
comfort and connection. There’s
also information on meditation,
breathing techniques, mental
health supports and best practices
in traumatic stress exposure.
As part of Horizon’s ongoing
recruitment of nursing staff,
allied health professionals and
physicians, new hires have been
welcomed from all over the
world. Vibert manages a team
of 45 registered nurses, licensed
practical nurses and personal care
