HEALTH-SERVICE REGIONALIZATION IN NEW-BRUNSWICK, CANADA - A BOLD MOVE

New Brunswick moved swiftly in 1992 to regionalize hospital and physic ian services along with the reform and expansion of other health care services. The dissolution of 51 hospital and community health services center boards and the establishment of eight region hospital corporat ions to oversee services in the seven health regions set the tone for regionalization in the province. The plan provides the flexibility to meet specific regional needs. The initial regionalization of hospital services was followed by the determination of the appropriate number, mix, and distribution of physician resources for each region, also to be managed by the region hospital corporation. The provincial governme nt's central role not only guides the regions, but also uses incentive s and disincentives to ensure that regional goals are met. While regio nalization is not new and some components of the New Brunswick plan ha ve been used elsewhere, the effort offers an integrated model for the regionalization of hospital and physician services, with the expansion of complementary services.