eVisitNB is an innovative virtual clinic founded by Dr. Hanif Chatur and Dr. Jonathan Clayton that provides essential health services to New Brunswickers who do not have access to primary care. The clinic connects New Brunswickers with nurse practitioners via secure video, telephone or text messaging for medical consultations.
From left to right, Gregory MacFarlane (Director), Dr. Hanif Chatur (Co-founder and CEO), Amy McLeod (Chief Operating Officer)
The clinic has provided care to more than 230,000 New Brunswickers, completed more than 500,000 virtual appointments, and helped more than 100,000 patients avoid an emergency room visit and receive medical care and attention. Data shows that in September 2024, 47% of eVisitNB users reported not having a family doctor or nurse practitioner.
By providing virtual care services, eVisitNB addresses several critical healthcare challenges in the province, including the growing number of patients who do not have a family doctor or nurse practitioner, long wait times in emergency departments, and limited access to primary care, particularly in rural and remote areas.
Dr. Hanif Chatur has reimagined and put into practice the way healthcare can be administered in the province by harnessing the power of technology. eVisitNB won the Public Sector Innovation Award at the InnovateNB Awards, an award that recognizes the adoption of an innovative solution for the delivery of a service offered to the public. The InnovateNB event celebrates New Brunswick innovators and their outstanding contributions to the technology and innovation ecosystem.
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Hon. Susan Holt, Premier of New Brunswick, Presents eVisitNB with the Public Sector Award for Innovation
The Shift to Virtual Care
The eVisitNB platform was developed in response to the retirement of several family physicians in Woodstock, New Brunswick. As a result, the community was left without access to primary health care, except the emergency rooms where Dr. Hanif Chatur worked full-time. The problem was that emergency rooms are not designed to provide this type of service to the population.
“Ever since I started medicine I was taught to think inside the box, literally and metaphorically” explains Dr. Hanif Chatur, “and then it occurred to me, what if I just got rid of the box? What if there was no box?”
In 2019, the eVisitNB virtual platform was developed, however at the time there was limited interest in developing a solution to enable patients to connect with nurse practitioners digitally. The community was accustomed to physically visiting a facility - in a “box” - to obtain health services. The pandemic that emerged in January 2020 became the catalyst that would propel health services delivered digitally.
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Dr. Hanif Chatur and Hon. Susan Holt, Premier of New Brunswick
New Brunswick residents welcomed the eVisitNB clinic, resulting in a dramatic improvement in the population's access to short and long-term medical services. By offering timely, personalized treatment plans, eVisitNB helps patients feel heard, valued, and supported throughout their health journey. Additionally, the platform’s commitment to clear communication, secure data handling in compliance with Canadian privacy laws, and a patient-centered approach fosters a sense of reliability and confidence. Through these efforts, eVisitNB has created a healthcare experience that patients can trust in an era of uncertainty.
“Healthcare doesn't move at the speed of tech” shares Dr. Hanif Chatur, “it moves at the speed of trust”.
Advice to Aspiring Innovators
Winning the Public Sector Innovation Award at the InnovateNB Awards validated eVisitNB’s mission to improve our healthcare system to close the accessibility gap for New Brunswickers struggling with care.
Dr. Hanif Chatur encourages aspiring innovators to challenge conventional boundaries and to think outside the box. He emphasizes that while identifying problems and offering criticism is easy, the true reward lies in focusing on how to solve them. “Where I used to see problems, I now see solutions”, he concludes,” and part of what you call innovation is that there are no limits.”
eVisitNB is powered by a team of over 200 nurse practitioners from across Canada, has over 250,000 New Brunswickers on the platform and is on track to complete over 750,000 visits by the end of 2025.
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eVisitNB is making a significant impact on the lives of New Brunswickers by providing accessible, convenient and timely healthcare services. Visit their web platform to learn more.
