BOYLE – Boyle-and-area residents will be without an emergency department doctor this coming week according to two Alberta Health Services (AHS) announcements released Aug. 11.
The press releases notified residents of an upcoming temporary disruption in emergency department physician coverage at the Boyle Healthcare Centre Aug. 14- 20 with sporadic coverage gaps at the Lac La Biche William J. Cadzow Healthcare Centre Aug. 14-16 and Aug. 17-18.
The Boyle Healthcare Centre emergency department disruption begins at 9 a.m., Aug. 14, and normal coverage is expected to resume Sunday, Aug. 20, at 8 p.m.
The Lac La Biche disruptions begin Aug. 14 at 4 p.m., and will resume Wednesday, Aug. 16 at 8 p.m. A second disruption is expected between Thursday, Aug. 17, and Saturday, Aug. 19 ,during the same hours.
The announcement of the temporary disruptions come after no travelling doctors could be found to cover local physician absences.
Residents with any healthcare emergencies are advised to call 911, and EMS services will redirect patients to the nearest centre as necessary. The emergency departments in both communities will remain open as Boyle’s hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and the William J. Cadzow Healthcare Centre is open 24-7. Nursing staff will be available to triage patients and refer care to the nearest emergency departments located in Athabasca and Smoky Lake.
As per the existing temporary disruption due to lack of nursing staff, Boyle’s emergency department will remain closed between the hours of 8 p.m. and 9 a.m. for the foreseeable future. Resources for non-emergency healthcare needs such as Health Link at 811 are still available for residents in the area.
Temporary closures due to staffing shortages have been frequent in recent years, though as noted in one of the releases, AHS has made continuing efforts to “aggressively recruit healthcare professionals for rural areas.”
In an Aug. 11 e-mail, Athabasca County reeve Brian Hall stated, “This closure due to lack of physician coverage is disappointing and a serious worry in our region. It underscores the need to improve rural healthcare, and collaboration across the region to keep these critical facilities available to our residents.”
An Aug. 4 press release from Lac La Biche County expressed ongoing collaboration between Athabasca County, the Town of Athabasca, and the Village of Boyle to commit to finding workable solutions to providing residents with adequate healthcare services.
More information and up-to-date announcements on the temporary disruptions can be found here.
