In October 2024, the NBMS Practice Support team introduced the first Patient’s Medical Home Expedition series, a collaborative learning program designed to guide and support primary care teams in implementing high-impact changes to facilitate the transition of their practice toward the Patient Medical Home (PMH) model. In this six-part learning series, presented in partnership with the Health Innovation Group (HIG), physicians and health care teams gained valuable insights into the PMH attributes, explored concrete actions to build the practice they want, and received support from expert advisors and practice facilitators to make sustainable changes in their clinic. Fifty-four participants took part in the first Expedition cohort, with the program well received by all those involved.
“We found the Expedition program quite helpful. The material was comprehensive, prompting us to approach improvement areas we previously had not considered. More importantly, the dedicated time to work together and regular check-ins moved us from a group who regularly thought about Quality Improvement (QI) to one performing QI. The most impactful aspect was the longitudinal guidance of an experienced QI facilitator, which was immensely helpful.”
– Dr. Josh Tracey
Taking what was learned from the Expedition experience, the Practice Support team worked with HIG to refine the program and tailor it to better meet the specific needs of New Brunswick physicians. This re-envisioned program, now called Health Home Essentials, was launched in November 2025 and will run through June 2026. Sixty-eight participants are signed up for this latest iteration, including 16 teams, 17 physicians, and a variety of nurse practitioners, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, allied health professionals and administrative staff. All participating teams are accompanied by a dedicated Practice Support Practice Facilitator who will help guide them through the process.
This condensed, in-person learning series supports family physicians and care teams in applying Health Home principles to improve access and clinic flow, foster teamwork, and enhance patient experience. Through interactive sessions, peer-to-peer collaboration and expert-led instruction, participants gain practical insights and actionable resources to strengthen care delivery in their clinics.
Throughout the program, primary care teams will be engaged in immersive learning experiences with other practice groups and explore seven of the nine most highly requested Patient’s Health Home Implementation Elements, tools, and strategies to advance clinic priorities. Within it they will employ practical tools and approaches to create a healthy practice, enhance teamwork behaviours, improve access and clinic flow, manage panels systematically, and optimize the experiences of providers and patients.
The program features an in-person component consisting of three full-day (non-consecutive) sessions in Fredericton, as well as a virtual component which includes a one-hour kick-off session and three one-hour action period calls. The course is delivered in English with materials available in both French and English. It is certified by the College of Family Physicians of Canada for up to 1 credit/hour.
This new learning series is ideal for family physicians and multidisciplinary health-care teams working in all primary care settings. NBMS Practice Support is excited to offer this updated program to assist New Brunswick physicians and looks forward to seeing how participants can implement the principles and tools presented over the next few months in the enhancement of their own practices. The team is also developing Change Packages, which are intended to enable Practice Facilitators to guide teams outside of Health Home Essentials who may be interested in adopting some of these strategies at their own pace without the course framework.
Jim Johnson, Communications Specialist
