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(Editor's note: This story has been revised to include the latest timeline from Alberta Health Services about service disruptions at the Barrhead Healthcare Centre).
BARRHEAD - For the third time this month, the Barrhead Healthcare Centre has been hit with service disruptions due to a lack of on-site physician coverage, which significantly curtails emergency care at the hospital.
According to a release from Alberta Health Services (AHS), the Barrhead Healthcare Centre lacked any on-site physician coverage for a seven-hour period running from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Dec. 23.
The second period without any on-site physician coverage will run for 24 hours from 8 a.m. Monday, Dec. 27 to 8 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 28.
Finally, the Barrhead Healthcare Centre will be without any on-site physician coverage for a 36-hour period running from 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 28 to 8 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 30.
However, in a subsequent media release, AHS stated that they had secured on-site physician coverage from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 27. AHS also stated that they are continuing to look to fill the other vacancies.
During these two periods, nursing staff will be on-site in the hospital’s emergency department to provide urgent triage and assessments, as well as referrals for patients to alternate emergency departments in neighbouring communities.
Barrhead residents with a medical emergency are otherwise directed to call 9-1-1. Emergency medical services (EMS) will then be re-routed to the Westlock Healthcare Centre 41 kilometres away or the Whitecourt Healthcare Centre 99 kilometres away.
Depending on their needs, patients seeking care at the emergency department in Barrhead will also be aware of services available through local pharmacies.
“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,” the release states.
“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.”
Previous disruptions
As indicated earlier, this is the third time the Barrhead hospital has been affected by a lack of on-site physician coverage over the course of the past month.
The first such instance was Nov. 30 when there were no doctors available in the emergency department from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. Dec. 1.
The second disruption occurred mid-December. There was a lack of physician coverage for three 12-hour periods running from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. on Dec. 18-19, Dec. 19-20 and Dec. 21-22.
During a Barrhead Chamber luncheon in November, local physician and community medical director Dr. Kent Bernes warned that there might be service disruptions at the hospital in December due to the low number of physicians in the community.
Bernes had told the chamber members that Barrhead would only have about half of the physicians it is targeted to have by the end of January.
AHS spokesperson Logan Clow also stated that these disruptions in emergency care were due to physician vacancies and the inability to secure a locum — a physician from out of the area who could temporarily cover a shift at the hospital.
“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, physician and nursing locum availability has been reduced. Many individuals have chosen not to travel outside of their home communities, and this drastically reduced our locum pool and our ability to cover vacant shifts,” Clow stated in an e-mail.
