BONNYVILLE – The Bonnyville Healthcare Centre is adjusting its clinic hours for outpatient Diagnostic Imaging Services to adjust for staffing shortages.
While many of the services temporarily suspended on July 25, such as surgical and obstetrical services, are expected to return to normal as of Sept. 7, other departments are now being impacted. This is according to Karen Diaper, the communications manager at Covenant Health.
“As we continue to navigate staffing shortages and to provide a more streamlined service to our Diagnostic Imaging patients, we are updating clinic hours for outpatient service,” Diaper told Lakeland This Week.
The hours of the Diagnostic Imaging Clinic for outpatients at the Bonnyville Healthcare Centre will now be Monday to Friday, 12:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.
The changes to the clinic's hours went into effect during the second last week of August.
Outpatients are those who have a referral from a doctor for imaging but are not a patient of the Bonnyville Healthcare Centre.
"Diagnostic Imaging patients will still be triaged and those needing urgent care will be seen first,” indicated Diaper.
Patients requiring emergent care should visit the Emergency Department or call 811 for more information.
It is important to note these clinic hours are only for walk-in outpatients who are seeking X-rays.
The Bonnyville team is still seeing outpatients for booked procedures such as fluoroscopies on Wednesdays and the Orthopedic clinic on Thursdays.
“We are grateful to the teams from Covenant Health and AHS, who continue to work tirelessly to find solutions to staffing shortages in the North Zone,” added Diaper.
“Our top priority remains the safety of our patients and staff.”
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