Alberta Health Services (AHS) is once again issuing a notice to regional residents that due to the inability to secure physician coverage, the William J. Cadzow - Lac La Biche Healthcare Centre emergency department will be temporarily without on-site physician coverage between 5 pm May 1 and 8 am May 2, and again from 5 pm May 2 to 8 am. May 3.
AHS says the advisory is temporary and if coverage is found, the disruption will be halted. AHS officials say local residents will continue to have access to the care they need during the disruption.
Nurses available
Emergency department nursing staff will remain on-site through both night shifts, providing triage, assessments and referrals for patients to alternate emergency departments in surrounding communities, as needed.
Patients are asked to call 911 if they have a medical emergency. EMS will remain available to the community and will be re-routed to surrounding healthcare centres to ensure local residents continue to have access to the emergency services they need.
Residents are reminded to call Health Link at 811, which is available 24/7 for non-emergency health-related questions.
This is the fourth service disruption at the Cadzow Emergency Department since the beginning of the year. Local and provincial health officials along with elected leaders continue to look for ways to address the ongoing physician shortage in the community.
