Service disruptions at Lac La Biche's W. J. Cadzow Hospital from the afternoon of Thursday, November 2 to the morning of Friday, November 3 have been avoided because a doctor was located to cover the shift.
Alberta Health Services reported on Thursday afternoon that physician coverage had been secured in the hospital's Emergency Department between 4pm Thursday and 8 a.m Friday.
"The emergency department will remain open and available to area residents in need of urgent care during these times," noted AHS spokesperson Logan Clow in a notice to media on Thursday afternoon.
A previous notice had been issued earlier in the week, advising of service disruptions in the hospital's emergency department for overnight shifts on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.
"We are grateful for the support of our healthcare teams and would like to thank the community for their patience and understanding," noted Clow.
The disruptions are the latest in a series that have been taking place at the Lac La Biche hospital over the last 18 months due to a lack of physicians in the community. Similar disruptions are taking place at medical facilities across rural Alberta.
Across the Lakeland, communities have banded together to create recruitment and retention committees as well as regional plans to share medical services for residents.
The Lac La Biche hospital's service area is currently staffed by seven family doctors, two more than the last service disruption at the hospital in early October
Throughout the disruptions, local nursing staff are on-site in the emergency department providing triage, assessments and referrals for patients to alternate emergency departments in surrounding communities, as needed.
Residents are also reminded to call Health Link at 811, which is available 24/7 for non-emergency health-related questions.
The current focus of AHS is on reducing emergency department wait-times, improving EMS response times, increasing access to surgeries, and improving patient flow.
