Alberta Health Services is advising of an overnight disruption at the W. J. Cadzow Hospital's Emergency Department in Lac La Biche due to the lack of an available, on-site physician.
The disruption will be in effect from 4 p.m. Tuesday July 18 until 8 a.m. Wednesday, July 19.
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.
"This is a temporary measure and AHS is working hard to ensure local residents continue to have access to the care they need during this time. If coverage is found, this disruption may be cancelled," says AHS spokesperson Sara Blake.
Nurses and services available
Nursing staff will remain on-site in the emergency department providing triage, assessments and referrals for patients to alternate emergency departments in surrounding communities, as needed.
Residents are reminded to call Health Link at 811, which is available 24/7 for non-emergency health-related questions.
"We are grateful for the support of surrounding healthcare centres and medical staff and would like to thank the community for its patience and understanding during this time," said Blake.
Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services. The current focus of AHS is on reducing emergency department wait-times, improving EMS response times, increasing access to surgeries, and improving patient flow.
The most recent disruption is the fifth one in as many months at the hospital.
Municipal officials are continuing to work with provincial and local healthcare representatives to secure additional physicians fo the region.
