Much like Barrhead, the Swan Hills Healthcare Centre is dealing with its own shortage of physicians to staff its emergency department.
On Jan. 6, Alberta Health Services (AHS) issued a release stating that there was no physician on-site at the Swan Hills Healthcare Centre from noon that same day until 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 7.
The release stated that nursing staff will remain on-site in the emergency department to provide triage and assessments, as well as referrals to patients in alternate EDs in surrounding communities as needed.
While patients are asked to call into 9-1-1 if they had a medical emergency, those calls will be re-routed to nearby sites like the Whitecourt and Slave Lake Healthcare Centres.
Depending on their needs, patients seeking care at the emergency department in Swan Hills will also be made aware of services available through local pharmacies.
Those with non-emergency medical-related concerns can also call Health Link at 8-1-1, which is available 24/7 for non-emergency health-related questions.
“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 stated.
This is not the first time Swan Hills has experienced this issue; on Dec. 18, CBC reported that the emergency department at the Swan Hills Healthcare Centre would be without an on-site physician from 8 a.m. on Dec. 20 to 8 a.m. on Dec. 24.
Likewise, the Barrhead Healthcare Centre was without on-site physician coverage for several periods throughout December.
