Roberta Dugas, chair of WorkSafeNB and William H. Teed, Q.C., chair of Metro Health Services Inc., announced October 16th that they have entered into an agreement that will benefit both organizations and provide improved and sustainable prosthetic and orthotic services for both injured workers and the general population.

Both these not for profit agencies have seen a decline in the population of clients they serve, particularly in those requiring prosthetic devices. Metro Health Services was created in 1987 in response to the closure of Health and Welfare Canada facilities across the country, including the one at the local DVA hospital. At that time most of Metro’s clients were war veterans. Since that time Metro has expanded services to include Specialty Seating and Pedorthics programs to meet the needs of a much more diverse population. WorkSafeNB has experienced a decline in the numbers of injured workers requiring prosthetic services at their facility in Grand Bay-Westfield.

Combining the resources of these two agencies will ensure that Saint John and area continues to have a state of the art prosthetic and orthotic service, and that injured workers in New Brunswick will continue to have access to the Workers’ Rehabilitation Centre in Grand Bay, where their unique issues can be addressed. Metro Health will also continue to offer all their existing services at the Saint John Regional Hospital location.

Dugas and Teed said that a dedication to the needs of the clients they serve and a spirit of co-operation between the two agencies made this agreement possible.