(file photo)

By Nathaniel Leigh

Hospital

Beaverlodge ED without overnight on-site physician Aug. 11-14

Aug 11, 2023 | 11:07 AM

The Beaverlodge Municipal Hospital Emergency Department will be without an on-site physician in the evening over the weekend.

Due to the inability to secure physician coverage, there will be no on-site physician from 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m., Friday to Monday.

During this time the nursing staff will remain on-site to provide triage and assessments and potential referrals to emergency departments in neighbouring communities.

If patients call 9-1-1 with a medical emergency, EMS remains available to transport them to Grande Prairie Regional Hospital for treatment.

Alberta Health Services want to reassure the community this is only a temporary measure.

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View more information from Alberta Health Services below:

Due to the inability to secure physician coverage, the Beaverlodge Municipal Hospital Emergency Department (ED) will be temporarily without on-site physician coverage for 12 hours overnight for the following periods:

• 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 11 to 8 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 12
• 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 12 to 8 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 13
• 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug 13 to 8 a.m. Monday, Aug. 14

During this time, nursing staff will remain on-site in the Emergency Department providing urgent triage and assessments and referrals for patients to alternate Emergency Departments in neighbouring communities.

Patients are asked to call 911 if they have a medical emergency.

EMS remains available and will be re-routed to Grande Prairie Regional Hospital (42 km).

This is a temporary measure and AHS is working hard to ensure residents continue to have access to the care they need during this time.

Depending on their needs, patients seeking care at the ED in Beaverlodge may also be made aware of services available through local pharmacies.

Residents are reminded to call Health Link at 811, which is available 24/7 for non-emergency health-related questions.

We are thankful for the support of surrounding healthcare centres and medical staff and would like to thank the community for their patience and understanding during this time.

Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta.

Our mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.

Our current focus is on reducing emergency department wait-times, improving EMS response times, increasing access to surgeries, and improving patient flow.

– With files from Alberta Health Services

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