COLD LAKE – Once again, Alberta Health Services (AHS) has announced that the Cold Lake Healthcare Centre's Emergency Department will be closed due to a lack of on-site physician coverage.
The latest Emergency Department closure will take place from 11 p.m. tonight (March 1) until 7 a.m. tomorrow (March 2).
The Cold Lake Healthcare Centre has experienced several Emergency Department closures over the last few months as a result of physician vacancies and the inability to secure locum coverage, according a statement released by AHS.
During these closures, nursing staff will remain on site in the Emergency Department to provide triage and assessments.
Staff will also provide referrals to alternate Emergency Departments for patients who require additional medical treatment.
EMS calls will be rerouted to surrounding healthcare centres with operational Emergency Departments.
“Patients are asked to call 911 if they have a medical emergency at this time,” states AHS. “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.”
For non-emergency health-related questions residents can call the provincial Health Link at 811, which is available 24/7.
Healthcare facilities near Cold Lake
The nearest emergency department to the Cold Lake Healthcare Centre is the Bonnyville Healthcare Centre over 50 km away.
The Elk Point Healthcare Centre is more than 100km away. However, the facility’s emergency department has no on-site physician on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 8 a.m. the following day.
The Elk Point facility, like the Cold Lake Healthcare Centre, will have nursing staff on site to assess, triage and refer patients to other medical centres.
The St. Therese - St. Paul Healthcare Centre is about 120 km from Cold Lake and the William J. Cadzow – Lac La Biche Healthcare Centre is nearly 150 km away – approximately 1.5 hours away.
