The Swan Hills Healthcare Centre’s emergency department will be closed for the entire first half of February due to a lack of physicians and an inability to secure a locum (a temporary physician).
As stated in a release from Alberta Health Services (AHS), the Swan Hills emergency department was closed at 8 a.m. today, Feb. 1 and will remain closed until 8 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 18.
Nursing staff will remain on site in the emergency department providing triage and assessments, as well as referrals to nearby emergency departments as needed.
Otherwise, patients in the Swan Hills are asked to call 9-1-1 if they have a medical emergency. EMS calls will be re-routed to either the Westlock Healthcare Centre (which is 118 kilometres away), the Whitecourt Healthcare Centre (80 kilometres away) or the Slave Lake Healthcare Centre (116 kilometres away).
The release states a new physician is slated to begin practicing in the community on March 14 and will become the second physician practicing in Swan Hills.
“AHS is grateful for the continuous support of surrounding healthcare centres and medical staff, and thanks the community for its understanding during this time,” the release states.
It is worth noting that the Swan Hills Healthcare Centre also experienced a similar service disruption in its emergency department for approximately 29 hours on Jan. 6-7.
